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

Mar 18, 2026 - Considering Adding Legislative Appointees to the SBE. The Legislature could consider adding two legislative appointees to the SBE. These appointees could enable greater legislative oversight of the new governance system and ensure the SBE ’s policies are consistent with legislative intent.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposition 98 Guarantee and K-12 Spending Plan

Feb 4, 2026 - The proposal effectively shifts that cost from this year to future budgets —helping address the current budget problem on a one ‑time basis, but adding to the large budget deficits the state is projecting over the next several years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5110

Increasing Transparency of County Office of Education Spending

Mar 14, 2024 - The state could consider soliciting input from COEs and other experts on alternative education or other relevant outcome metrics that could be added to the Dashboard that would be a better indication of performance at COE ‑run schools.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4883

Assessing a Shift to Enrollment-Based School Funding

Jan 6, 2026 - This approach would be well ‑aligned with the existing accountability system, but would require the state to revise its ESSA plan and potentially make other changes to its accountability system to remain in compliance with federal government.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5100

The 2026-27 Budget: K-12 Proposals

Feb 19, 2026 - Receiving a status update would give the Legislature an opportunity to determine whether the proposed guidelines provide sufficient accountability for schools and whether existing funding is sufficient to support accreditation costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5131

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 19, 2026 - In addition, the state partially covered program costs with $195  million from the Proposition  64 Youth Account, which is funded by the cannabis retail excise tax established in 2016. State Preschool programs are funded entirely with $2.9  billion in General Fund (including $1.9  billion in Proposition  98 General Fund).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5168

The 2025‑26 Budget: Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges

Nov 20, 2024 - Outside of government and health care, the state has added no jobs over the past 18 months. Similarly, the number of Californians who are unemployed is 25  percent higher than during the strong labor markets of 2019 and 2022.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4940

The 2025-26 Budget: California State University

Feb 25, 2025 - This program accounts for $3.9  million (70  percent) of the Center ’s ongoing state General Fund support. Capital Fellows Program Is a Hands ‑On Learning Experience for Those Interested in State Government.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4989

The 2025-26 Budget: Transitional Kindergarten Multilingual Learner Screeners

Feb 26, 2025 - For ex ample, it could consider modifying LCFF to account for multilingual learners or provide funding through a separate targeted grant. Under either approach, the Legislature may want to ensure that the level of funding provided is aligned with any service requirements added in statute.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4990

The 2025-26 Budget: Proposition 98 Guarantee and K-12 Spending Plan

Feb 13, 2025 - New Requirements Added in 2024 ‑25 Following a Legal Settlement. In late 2020, the families of several students living in Oakland and Los Angeles filed a lawsuit alleging the state had failed to ensure that schools provided adequate instruction during the pandemic ( Cayla  J.  
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4963