This past year, California ranked third in the nation for having the largest pupil-teacher ratio, which is 35% more students than a typical classroom in the United States.

In 2005, California students scored below average in reading, writing, math and science tests according to the National Association of Educational Progress. That same year, 50% of fourth grade students scored below basic in reading and 29% scored below basic in math.

In 2004, twenty-three of the twenty-seven school districts in Orange County were below the state average in education funding.

Orange County was shorted $220 million dollars from the federal government in 2006 to pay for special education programs. Due to inadequate funding, districts are unable to pay for class size reduction, are cutting supplemental programs and have reduced budgets for curriculum. learning materials and technology.