Algebra plan has $3.1 billion pricetag

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- An extra $3.1 billion annually will be needed for California's new eighth grade algebra testing requirement, school officials said.

The measure, supported by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, could require a more than 6 percent increase in the state's education budget. Funds would be used primarily to lower middle school class sizes or lengthen school days, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

Without the additional money, schools could see an overwhelming failure rate on the algebra tests, said California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell in a Tuesday teleconference.

"The governor absolutely must deliver the resources needed to make this mandate succeed," said the superintendent, who originally opposed Schwarzenegger's testing proposal.

California Board of Education President Ted Mitchell defended the plan.

"From my perspective it's too early to put a price tag on these efforts and more critical to identify the elements of the plan. I do think that we have had better conversations about algebra and math readiness in the last 20 days than we've had in the last 20 years," he said.