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 2026-27 Budget: Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges

Nov 19, 2025 - Most  notably, it withdrew $9.5  billion from the Proposition  98 Reserve. The state also had a $3.5  billion “cushion ” because it did not spend all of the previous increases in the guarantee on ongoing programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5093

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

Nov 17, 2021 - For the upcoming budget cycle, the Legislature has nearly $20 billion to allocate for new commitments, including $10.2  billion in one ‑time funds related to 2020 ‑21 and 2021 ‑22 and $9.5 billion in ongoing funds related to 2022 ‑23.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4473

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

State Budget Effects of Recent Federal Actions to Address COVID-19

Apr 5, 2020 - Potential State Budgetary Benefit of $9.5  Billion. Setting aside the funding to local governments, we estimate the state is eligible for $9.5  billion from the CRF. Legislation specifies that the funds can be used for “necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ” that are incurred between March  1 and December 30, 2020.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4217

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

May 16, 2022 - Proposition   98 Reserve Reaches $9.5   Billion. In addition, the Proposition  98 Reserve, which is dedicated to school and community college spending, would reach $9.5  billion under the Governor ’s May Revision.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4598