Spike in Calif. Deficit Raises New Concerns

California education groups are increasingly worried that even a proposed state tax increase won't be enough to solve school funding woes, after the state announced that its budget deficit had grown to nearly $16 billion.

When Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, announced a dramatic spike in the deficit this month, he continued to press for protecting K-12 and higher education funding despite the gloomier fiscal numbers.

But education advocacy groups still worry about education spending and expressed concern that even the high-stakes November initiative would not be enough to solve serious...