SACRAMENO, CA—Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) today announced that 24 Orange County schools are slated to receive $138 million in funding over the next seven years to invest in programs that are aimed at boosting student achievement.

At a meeting earlier today, the State Board of Education approved $2.7 billion in funding over seven years for 488 low-performing public schools (schools that ranked in either deciles 1 or 2 as determined by the 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) base).  

The funds were allocated through the Quality Education Investment Act (SB 113—Sen. Torlakson, 2006) that passed last summer to implement the terms of a settlement agreement to a lawsuit filed last year by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell and the California Teachers Association against Governor Schwarzenegger and the California Department of Finance for failing to properly fund Proposition 98 in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 budget years.

“When I first heard about this funding opportunity I notified schools in my Assembly District that they should apply for funding.  I was extremely excited to hear that 24 schools in Orange County were selected to receive funding.  This funding will help our schools improve the quality of education for our children by helping these schools hire new, motivated teachers, decrease class size, hire more counselors, and provide more assistance and training for existing teachers and principals,” said Assemblyman Jose Solorio. 

“Santa Ana Unified, in particular, did very well when compared to other school districts in term of total funding received.  Only four other school districts will receive more funds, including Kern High school district, Fresno, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Unified,” said Assemblyman Solorio.  According to figures released by the California Department of Education, 14 Santa Ana Unified schools will receive $7.6 million in 2007-08, and $11.5 million per year for the next six years.
  
When the Quality Education Investment Act is fully implemented by fiscal year 2008-09, the funds will be distributed on a basis of $500 per pupil for grades kindergarten through third, $900 per pupil in grades fourth through eighth and $1,000 per pupil for grades ninth through twelfth.  Funding provided in the 2007-08 year will only be approximately 66% of the amount for the following six years 2008-08 through 2013-14. 
    

Below are the Orange County schools selected to receive funding under the Quality Education Investment Act and the approved new funding:                   

**Note:  The 2007-08 funding level is 66% of the annual funding level.

Assemblyman Jose Solorio represents the Sixty-Ninth Assembly District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana.  For more information about Assemblyman Solorio you can visit www.assembly.ca.gov/solorio.