[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6566766,"mediaKeyId","3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8","parentId",3203124,"title","ScholarShare seeks staff to scale Cal Kids outreach as claims rise; LAO recommends pause on manager hire","audioSeconds",461,"startMs",7793000,"endMs",8254000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8&start=7793&end=8254","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8/thumbnail_7793000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6566766/California/ScholarShare-seeks-staff-to-scale-Cal-Kids-outreach-as-claims-rise-LAO-recommends-pause-on-manager-hire","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566766-41346f38c1980d819bd04429ee4a9f11/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489320&Signature=Q9qxoiqsFzZKCFpYlA52l1ZbH6k-swaty9KeVtej1HM9yW~FhINPGug4crqlz~Ud4Z-OAPC4wuyqM-C05g~NleZQuQiAAKAJnAUgCpWBe7wrIJ4UB0QJJ0QrSg6txjuJPcG79jcgSODJsOhxa3QmvZz0hMGnUp1fxxV3Iwf~ktGogJQ4PktWDN0tsWTDJ5anbwmLNLovK6Po3xb9taNMNSooDAHPI4i0R4KPqZ68OEfzip0U7xqxxzfidIvxv2G6zRlpeERPA7TVRexU~ySeLR3SEAMfSjxHKdFdihC9Tc1irjQKZJBw0itQIUZhsu9Iq5FUycsvv8pidBziy9NoYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House","date","2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","article","The ScholarShare Investment Board asked the Assembly budget subcommittee Wednesday for three permanent staff positions and ongoing resources to support outreach, customer service and data management for Cal Kids, the state’s automatic college‑savings program created in 2022.

ScholarShare executive director Cassandra de Benedetto said the program has enrolled more than 5 million children—about 1.1 million newborns and nearly 4 million low‑income public school students—and that nearly 600,000 students and families have claimed accounts so far. \"We are now focused on increasing participation and raising awareness among families who may not yet know this opportunity exists,\" de Benedetto told the committee, adding that a current paid media campaign and partnerships with schools and county agencies have driven recent spikes in claims.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office supported two staff positions tied to operations and data management but recommended rejecting a requested manager position for now. LAO analyst Natalie Gonzales said the board is spending $7.5 million on a two‑year marketing campaign with an external firm and urged analysis of those results before adding a managerial hire. \"We recommend revisiting the need for this position after these marketing efforts have been completed and ScholarShare has analyzed the marketing efforts to better understand what is the most cost effective way to increase Cal Kids program participation,\" Gonzales said.

ScholarShare said targeted efforts such as a texting campaign through CalWORKs produced a 71% increase in website traffic and that in‑school lessons and in‑person events have led to on‑site account claims. Officials also described ongoing data‑sharing efforts: the board has a Cradle to Career partnership under way and is finalizing a data‑sharing agreement with the California Student Aid Commission to enable broader classroom‑level outreach similar to a county pilot in Riverside that the board and county officials said substantially raised claim rates.

Lawmakers pressed ScholarShare on the balance between vendor marketing dollars and agency staff, asked for more detail on campaign results, and raised equity concerns about program reach. De Benedetto confirmed that newborns are automatically enrolled but that the program’s public‑school arm covers only public school students who meet income criteria; children attending private schools do not qualify under current law.

The subcommittee held the item open for follow up material on campaign effectiveness, costs and the proposed staffing and data‑sharing implementation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance","oneSentenceSummary","The ScholarShare Investment Board asked the Assembly budget subcommittee Wednesday for three permanent staff positions and ongoing resources to scale outreach for Cal Kids, California’s automatic college‑savings program, while the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended supporting two operational hires and delaying a marketing manager until the current paid campaign is evaluated.","taxTitle","California State Assembly, House, Legislative, California","taxId",17099,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6566771,"Prop. 2 allocations prompt questions about community college scoring, gym projects and regional weighting",384,6728000,7112000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8&start=6728&end=7112","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8/thumbnail_6728000.jpg","/articles/6566771/California/Prop-2-allocations-prompt-questions-about-community-college-scoring-gym-projects-and-regional-weighting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566771-bea911688ca7adf513840592d087ad91/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489320&Signature=A7bupGX8JbOl9BJJx0HKyyMWIXCt4ugjk8nL0KGsd4BBjD~z6mfG1fXB3apppyngmabpaM47FgShVnwPdegTZZvcItRtI6ONqhKC12PGaCOXsZ0pr1LL2s9zHftvyPKS5x2X6TyV-DAP0c0W4l3lvLkI~ruebrIJW3eSsl4CzLmZeYaI2Y6mVh7aMzA8QKmKxJHDz47g9m-gdbQP0KOs-3Cgb5TX4BEbB4jiAyP7IR1d24lJaBt8nODw~ZxqMaHgD~4K0fuJzsDq65gCTZtf4wJlFD47c0V7fmsPkCJlAr-EyqaTGcjMhc4bJc5Zmr3NJMQ-XV1aAgCarnOTd-R9-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Finance on Wednesday presented a Proposition 2 implementation plan that would allocate $1.5 billion for California community college projects, with an initial governor’s‑budget package proposing 29 projects and roughly $728.8 million in total state cost over time.

Alexandra Waldman of the Department of Finance said the department used the California Community Colleges Board of Governors’ scoring framework, which prioritizes life‑safety projects first and then splits remaining funds 65% for modernization and 35% for growth. \"The governor's budget proposes 29 projects for the Proposition 2 funding,\" Waldman said.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office told the subcommittee it supports consistent metrics but recommended the Legislature examine the scoring system. Lisa King of the LAO noted that under the community college five‑year plan roughly 80% of identified needs are modernization and 20% growth, and that the scoring system’s 65/35 split could underprioritize modernization. King also flagged an unusually high share of gymnasium projects in the current package, saying nearly one‑third of proposed projects are gyms—largely because the newer matrix treats gym space the same as other academic space, whereas previous bond rules treated gyms separately and limited their share.

Chris Ferguson of the Community College Chancellor’s Office said the matrix was developed through the system’s consultative process and that changing it would require 12–24 months of stakeholder work. He confirmed the current selection included 17 modernization projects, eight growth projects and four life‑safety projects in the governor’s package. \"We do operate under a participatory governance structure, and we did work with our stakeholders to develop the matrix,\" Ferguson said.

Committee members asked for greater transparency in future packages, including clearer public labeling of whether projects are modernization, growth or life safety, and urged the Chancellor’s Office and LAO to examine whether regional weighting and a campus‑size metric appropriately advance access in under‑served areas. The LAO recommended the Chancellor’s Office explain the rationale for metrics that favor larger campuses and specific regions, and suggested the Legislature could direct adjustments if the scoring criteria do not match legislative priorities.

Advocates who testified afterward urged the committee to treat project selections that were submitted under existing rules as final and prospective only: Rebecca Killeen, speaking for the Community College Facility Coalition, asked that changes be applied prospectively because districts submitted applications under the rules in effect at submission.

The subcommittee left the issue open and asked staff to follow up with supplemental materials identifying project types and how the scoring led to the selected package.","Department of Finance and the Community College Chancellor’s Office outlined a Proposition 2 implementation package Wednesday. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged review of the community college scoring matrix after an unusually high share of gymnasium projects and a possible mismatch between current matrix splits and system needs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6566775,"California lawmakers press universities, colleges on $20B-plus facilities backlog and bond options",1468,2259000,3727000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8&start=2259&end=3727","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8/thumbnail_2259000.jpg","/articles/6566775/California/California-lawmakers-press-universities-colleges-on-20B-plus-facilities-backlog-and-bond-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566775-e661afbd08b0724abd96987afbd8564a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489320&Signature=EAXrvkF2ckEIEbC1jR~gfH8tXMEsOQrJoSDtYDxTDRLeNh-VN8UAiubwdNYYAWNZCSeUa213aELsmXsj0ksJ7uodARywqMAZlloXOacNEChr4JHonbFbYaU5NEznQIWUAaPSeKnCx0LO82hJ2bzjDNxWJlwrBxBdxVnOR5bNsefFt-rmSGEqAMZJhaiJ2PhRus9mUOBXo5zOhX3UB-vKMKyt5Ea78YznrpuB1CInGujzdwCWpynoSSccRIswEtoBjalRf4Ntiyzd77ulzdWyo1vTuWgg7LSl-Nhu3XlKRnjl~PXXAlm4CsEea11QjQfyJ4SPs21kW4s4M4zkeEvPiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance heard Wednesday that California’s public higher education systems face multibillion‑dollar facility backlogs and uncertain, uneven funding mechanisms as lawmakers weigh whether to ask voters to approve a statewide higher‑education bond.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office told the panel its 2025 report shows campus square footage has grown substantially but that many academic and administrative buildings are aging; the LAO recommended the state and systems improve data collection on capital renewal spending and develop long‑term plans to prevent backlogs from growing. \"Without these plans, it's very likely that these capital renewal backlogs will further grow,\" LAO analyst Jennifer Pacella told the committee.

The recommendation matters because system leaders said they cannot meet renewal, seismic and program needs at current funding levels. \"We haven't had a general obligation bond in nearly 20 years,\" Nathan Brostrom, chief financial officer for the University of California, said in testimony. Brostrom told the subcommittee UC documents a $8.5 billion deferred‑maintenance total and roughly $13 billion in seismic renovation needs; UC’s five‑year capital financial plan lists more than $30 billion in projects, including about $12 billion for medical centers and $10 billion for student housing.

Paul Gano, assistant vice chancellor for capital planning at the California State University, said CSU’s five‑year plan identifies about $31 billion in project needs with more than $8 billion in deferred maintenance. \"A consistent multi‑year funding plan is essential to addressing CSU's capital needs effectively,\" he said, describing a shift since 2014 when responsibility for capital funding moved largely to CSU rather than being delivered from state bonds.

Chris Ferguson, executive vice chancellor of the California Community Colleges, told the panel the system’s five‑year capital outlay plan shows roughly $33.5 billion in unmet facilities needs and a high share of aging buildings: \"More than 57% of our facilities are over 25 years old,\" he said, citing modernization and career technical education priorities.

Members pressed officials on how much of the listed needs are shovel‑ready, the meaning of facility utilization rates and debt limits. The LAO and system officials said utilization metrics vary by segment and that some large legacy lecture halls are less used than they once were because of enrollment shifts and online course options. Brostrom testified UC’s total outstanding debt has grown to about $34 billion, much of it tied to medical centers and housing; he said roughly $665 million in annual state‑related debt service is reflected in UC’s state appropriation.

Panelists also discussed financing tools. CSU and UC representatives said lease revenue bonds and campus‑issued university bonds have been used but do not replicate the scale and predictability of a voter‑approved general obligation bond. The LAO and system officials urged better, more granular reporting of capital renewal spending by fund source so the Legislature can accurately measure gaps and set realistic funding targets.

Lawmakers repeatedly cited rising construction costs and recent tariffs as complicating factors for future bond proposals and project delivery. Brostrom said some major UC hospital projects now face per‑bed cost estimates that reflect escalating material and labor prices.

The subcommittee left the record open and indicated further work with the LAO and systems to refine data, prioritization and bonding options ahead of the May revise and potential 2026 bond planning.

This account is based on presentations and exchanges between the LAO and representatives of UC, CSU and the California Community Colleges during the Aug. 4, 2024 Budget Subcommittee No. 3 hearing.","A Legislative Analyst Office briefing and testimony from UC, CSU and community college officials Tuesday quantified multi‑billion-dollar deferred maintenance and capital needs and renewed calls for a voter bond and clearer, recurring funding to address aging buildings, seismic risk and rising construction costs.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6566763,"Students urge restoration of CalFood funding, say cuts risk food security and degree progress",256,9418000,9674000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8&start=9418&end=9674","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3203124-12cdeb831bdd0ca0d2b36cb82ece15b8/thumbnail_9418000.jpg","/articles/6566763/California/Students-urge-restoration-of-CalFood-funding-say-cuts-risk-food-security-and-degree-progress","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566763-65fd7715505c036cc0664193421b0996/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489320&Signature=e8T53yMhMBWKmd0ZjfgGzYF26AtPcTBZ8AgYoYVrSuli5w2H3abktA39l08Jvwy0jtv39i8bdbeEubP02cMuJcnK1TRo8HRXu2ovlWTNC8-HFBhDOCoRhlQrWKpD2K-3JXr6BYmrcMWJ7XWgch~0x2gXPZtUi8rxW5~bydVyMir8q5NOahv2WTNVgtY4ot-Q1DYghLVtBAXVoM2COfCHPxYSjL1jIytPQqBoBrlCHJGlSk~UIC9z7jxEXqR5J~RK9RNKT55m9ysbQtYS6YJwwoXEm3ZxWX7x2u0uiSDpzPK8JsxT41racC-fFcUAN~pJTOep3cxtzCxTs9qDBSFZLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of students and campus officials who addressed the Assembly’s Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Wednesday urged lawmakers to restore previous funding levels for campus food‑assistance programs commonly referred to in testimony as CalFood.

Speakers from the University of California, Riverside and other campuses described widespread food insecurity among college students and said deep cuts in the governor’s proposal would undermine students’ ability to remain in school and graduate. \"Food security is student success,\" UC Riverside student Melissa Delgadio said during public comment.

Multiple student speakers and student government representatives asked the Legislature to restore recurring funding at roughly $60 million a year. Several witnesses said CalFood had averaged about $62.7 million per year over recent years and that the governor’s current proposal to significantly reduce that amount would leave campus pantries unable to meet demand. One commenter, representing campus basic‑needs programs, said campuses rely on CalFood dollars to purchase groceries and other essentials and that long lines and high demand show continued need.

Mark Fisher, vice chancellor for administration at UC Berkeley, also testified during the public comment period about campus capital renewal needs and used the term \"capital renewal\" to describe lifecycle replacements rather than short‑term repairs. He said Berkeley faces about $13 billion in facility modernization costs over two decades and a current campus backlog around $2 billion.

Speakers asked lawmakers to treat basic‑needs funding as essential for student health, retention and equitable access to higher education. Several tied funding restoration to broader student success goals and warned that reduced basic‑needs support could increase time‑to‑degree and long‑run costs to the state.

The subcommittee did not take a vote on funding during the hearing and held the item open; lawmakers asked staff to include basic‑needs funding alongside other higher‑education budget items in future deliberations.","Multiple students and campus leaders told the Assembly subcommittee Wednesday that cuts to CalFood (campus food pantry funding) would harm students’ basic needs and delay graduation. Speakers urged restoring funding to prior levels—testimony noted a previous average of about $62.7 million per year and asked for at least $60 million ongoing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

ScholarShare seeks staff to scale Cal Kids outreach as claims rise; LAO recommends pause on manager hire

Prop. 2 allocations prompt questions about community college scoring, gym projects and regional weighting

California lawmakers press universities, colleges on $20B-plus facilities backlog and bond options

Students urge restoration of CalFood funding, say cuts risk food security and degree progress