The 2025-26 Budget: California State University [Publication Details]

Feb 25, 2025 - The 2025-26 Budget: California State University [Publication Details] Description: This brief analyzes the state’s budget plan relating to CSU’s core operations and enrollment, as well as the Governor’s proposal to increase salaries for the Capital Fellows program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4989

The 2025-26 Budget: California State University

Feb 25, 2025 - When the Legislature sets enrollment growth expectations for CSU in the state budget, it intends for CSU to add more students. Though CSU is reporting higher state‑supported enrollment in each of the past two years, part of these increases has come from shifting enrollment from self‑ to state‑supported courses rather than adding new enrollment.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4989

Volatility of the Personal Income Tax Base

Feb 8, 2017 - In addition, under federal and state tax laws, essentially none of the items classified as employer ‑paid benefits are taxable at the time the contribution is made. For example, California does not tax pension contributions when they are made but rather taxes pension income employees receive in retirement.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3548

The 2020-21 Budget: Proposition 98 Education Analysis

Feb 24, 2020 - We analyze the Governor’s proposals for State Preschool in The 2020‑21 Budget: Early Education Analysis. In our January report, The 2020‑21 Budget: School District Budget Trends , we provide detailed information about compensation, staffing, pensions, and other cost pressures affecting school district budgets.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4174

The 2022-23 Budget: Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges

Nov 17, 2021 - Address Pension Liabilities and Costs. The state has a number of options for allocating funds that would improve the funding status of the pension systems and/or provide cost relief for districts. For example, the state could use one ‑time funds to pay down pension liabilities more quickly, which would also tend to lower district costs over the next several decades.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4473

A Review of the CalSTRS Funding Plan: Theoretical Investment Gains Have Shifted Unfunded Liabilities to Districts

Feb 2, 2016 - Specifically, the calculation estimates what CalSTRS’ unfunded liabilities would be now if (1) teachers earned less generous pension benefits and (2) the state and teachers had contributed more to CalSTRS’ main pension fund.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3334

The 2017-18 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor’s May Revision

May 13, 2017 - Supplemental Payment for State Pensions. The administration proposes making an additional payment of $6 billion to reduce the unfunded liability of CalPERS, the pension system for retired state employees.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3669

Update on School District Budgets

Nov 16, 2020 - The state budget largely avoids reductions to schools and provides fiscal relief through one-time federal funding and lower pension contribution rates. In future years, however, these fiscal supports will recede and districts will be left with pension and health benefit costs ratche ting higher on the one hand and reduced funding growth —a consequence of declining student attendance —on the other.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4301

The 2020-21 Budget: School District Budget Trends [Publication Details]

Jan 21, 2020 - In this report, we examine district budgets—both looking back at actual experiences to date and looking ahead at what experiences could be over the next few years. First, we provide background on districts and their budgets. We then discuss trends in districts’ main cost drivers. Next, we examine overall district fiscal health, with a particular focus on districts in fiscal distress.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4136

The 2020-21 Budget: Proposition 98 Education Analysis [Publication Details]

Feb 24, 2020 - Although the Legislature has various options for providing fiscal relief, we think making additional payments toward districts’ unfunded pension liabilities would offer the greatest fiscal benefit. Paying down these liabilities would improve the funding status of the pension systems and likely reduce district costs over time.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4174