LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — Public funding has become an issue rippling across California’s K-12 public schools. Los Alamitos High School teachers have recently voiced their concerns about a lack of money in the back-to-school supplies budget. Due to recent budget cuts, the district must choose where to provide funding and where to reduce cash flow.

During a staff meeting, teachers were asked to make Amazon wishlists and present them to parents at Back to School Night because the school can no longer provide teachers with their requested materials. Teachers expressed their disappointment following the announcement, assuming that the demand for supplies from all teachers meant they were likely to receive fewer items.

LAHS 3D design teacher Mrs. Ferrell shared that she believes she may receive more donations in the days and weeks following Back to School Night, as it usually takes a while for everyone to make a donation.

Some teachers posted these Amazon wishlists to their Google Classrooms in hopes of receiving more donations.

American public schools are responsible for the education of approximately 49.5 million K-12 students. A total of $16.30 billlion is given to K-12 public schools via funding by the federal government, $61.3 billion comes from Calironia’s state government and the local governments in total provide $38.7 billion, according to the Education Data Initative.

Schools may earn more money from Title 1 grants, which provide districts with more money when they have a larger number of low-income students.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act grants money to school with students who qualify in order to provide a more personailzed education plan.

Public schools like LAHS have a formula to calculate how much money schools should get based on varying enrollment factors. Since LAHS has fewer low-income students compared to other Orange County schools, less money is invested in the district. 

LAUSD has also been following a trend along with other school districts that are experiencing a decrease in student enrollment. The school receives money based on how many students show up to school per day; when the number of students enrolled begins to decrease, so does the amount of money the school receives.

“We’re one of the few states funded off of attendance versus enrollment,” said LAUSD superintendent Dr. Pulver.

This can also be reflected in LAHS’s arts department, Mrs. Ferrell said, which has experienced a lack of student interest resulting in four classes being removed from the arts for the 2024-2025 school year. Mrs. Ferrell did not specify which classes. 

New propositions such as Prop. 28 will continue to provide LAHS with additional funding, but unfortunately, budget cuts will have to be made throughout the district in order to maintain the education standards offered to students.