The 2026-27 Budget: Re-Envisioning State Education Governance

Mar 18, 2026 - Introduction California operates the nation ’s largest public school system, comprising 937 school districts, 1,257 charter schools, and 58 county offices of education. This year, these local agencies will educate nearly 5.8  million students, employ around 700,000 teachers and staff, and spend nearly $150  billion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165

A Review of the CalSTRS Funding Plan: State’s Future Responsibility for CalSTRS Uncertain

Feb 2, 2016 - Because theoretical assets that determine the state’s share of the unfunded liability fluctuate more than real world assets and because the state’s share of the unfunded liability ($15 billion) is much smaller than the district share ($58 billion), the state share will be relatively sensitive to changes in assets.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3336

A Review of the CalSTRS Funding Plan: Conclusion

Feb 2, 2016 - Meanwhile, that calculation, coupled with CalSTRS ’ treatment of the higher teacher contributions required by the funding law, have increased the school and community college district share from $47 billion to $58 billion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3339

The 2022-23 Budget: Update on K-12 Student Attendance

May 11, 2022 - As Figure  4 shows, 55 of the 58 counties in California have experienced ADA declines during the pandemic. Of these 55  counties, 36 experienced two ‑year declines between 5  percent and 10  percent.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4595

The 2019-20 Budget: California Spending Plan—Education

Oct 17, 2019 - Of this amount, $4.7  billion (58  percent) is state General Fund, $3.3  billion (41  percent) comes from student tuition and fee revenue, and $64  million (0.8  percent) is other state funding (primarily lottery revenue).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4096

The 2024-25 Budget: The Governor’s Proposition 98 Funding Maneuver

Feb 15, 2024 - We estimate the administration addressed a $58  billion budget problem in the Governor ’s budget. Despite this significant deficit, there is a good chance that the administration ’s revenue projections are too low and the state will face an even larger budget problem in May.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4840

EdBudget Tables (January 2017)

Jan 13, 2017 - Local education agencies have until June 30, 2018 to spend their Proposition  39 funding. f Less than $500,000. $52 $79 a Reflects project payments through January 2017. Unlike K-12 schools, community colleges do not receive planning payments. b Available until June 30, 2018.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3529

K-12 Education in Context

Jan 26, 2018 - California ’s rate of free or reduced price meal eligibility is above the nationwide rate of 52  percent. About Half of California Students Are Hispanic.  As Figure  1 shows, the ethnic make-up of California ’s students differs notably from the nation.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3736

The 2022-23 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 16, 2022 - We Estimate the Governor Allocated an Overall General Fund Surplus of $52   Billion in the May Revision. We estimate the Governor had a $52  billion surplus to allocate in the 2022 ‑23 May Revision, an increase of $23  billion over the $29  billion surplus we estimated was available in January.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4598

The 2016-17 Budget: Local Government Mandates--Reasonable Reimbursement Methodology

Mar 17, 2016 - Currently, there are 58 active education mandates and 22 active local government mandates for which the CSM has adopted Parameters and Guidelines. Of these, six mandates —Habitual Truants, Graduation Requirements, Behavioral Intervention Plans, Immunization Records (Pertussis), Peace Officers Procedural Bill of Rights, and Municipal Stormwater and Urban Runoff Discharge —use an RRM.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3395