Coastal Resources and Education  

The offshore oil and gas industry has been, and continues to be, a major source of funds for California’s education system. These funds come from property taxes, state and federal royalties, state income and corporate taxes and local fees.

• Much of the University of California system was built with funds paid to the state by oil companies as royalties for coastal oil and gas resources.

• On California’s Central Coast, oil companies paid more than $15.7 million in property taxes in 1997-98. Of that, an estimated $9.6 million went directly to local schools and education programs.

• Over the past 10 years, property taxes paid by the oil and gas industry on the Central Coast have contributed $120 million to schools and education programs in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

• One major offshore producer sponsors a two-year-old Teacher Tours Program which has provided more than 300 teachers and students with hands-on education visits of offshore production facilities.

• Oil and gas federal royalty payments have helped pay for the Arellanes School site development in Santa Barbara County, the California Botanic Garden in Ventura County, and for development of the Santa Ana Zoo in Orange County.

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