The 2026-27 Budget: K-12 Proposals

Feb 19, 2026 - Model Can Be Challenging to Initiate and Sustain. Although adopting a community schools model can lead to improved outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged students with the greatest needs, successful adoption requires fundamental changes that can be complicated for LEAs to implement.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5131

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

Mar 18, 2026 - Leveraging independence means assigning the SPI duties that can be performed more effectively outside of the Governor ’s control. For example, the SPI can provide information or advice about an educational issue even if the Governor considers it a low priority.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165

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

Feb 4, 2026 - The state has multiple tools that can make school and community college programs more resilient against risk and volatility. The Proposition  98 reserve is particularly powerful because it (1)  can be accessed relatively quickly, (2)  can support any school or community college activities, and (3)  avoids disrupting district cash flow (unlike payment deferrals).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5110

Assessing a Shift to Enrollment-Based School Funding

Jan 6, 2026 - An imbalance of indicators can result in an overidentification of high schools as needing to receive additional support under federal rules. Legislature Could Consider Ways to Highlight High School Chronic Absenteeism Rates.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5100

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

Nov 19, 2025 - First, districts can begin implementing attendance recovery programs—a recent measure that allows districts more flexibility to offset student absences by providing instruction outside the regular school day.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5093

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Proposition 98 and K-12 Education

Nov 10, 2025 - The funding can be used by CDE to contract with an external entity that would provide the screener and necessary training to schools free of charge, as well as to conduct field tests. CDE would be required to make the screener and training available to districts at no cost by March  1, 2026.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5087

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Mar 5, 2025 - Quality Can Be Challenging to Measure. While quality might be relatively simple to conceptualize, in practice it can be challenging to measure given the expansive nature of an individual ’s well ‑being and the many outcomes involved.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5008

The 2025-26 Budget: Educator Workforce

Mar 7, 2025 - Assessment Research Suggests Literacy and Math Coaches Can Improve Student Outcomes. Various studies suggest that math and literacy coaches can improve student test scores if experienced coaches are placed in the lowest ‑performing schools.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5012

The 2025-26 Budget: Expanded Learning Opportunities Program

Feb 20, 2025 - This  variability makes it difficult for districts to make long ‑term decisions about what level of staffing and programming they will be able to afford, even if they can accurately predict how many EL/LI students they are likely to serve.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4977

The 2025-26 Budget: Transitional Kindergarten

Feb 18, 2025 - Districts have two main ways they can adapt to the new one ‑to ‑ten staffing ratio requirement. One  option is to keep TK class sizes at 24 and add a third adult in the classroom, which would effectively result in a staffing ratio of one adult for every eight students.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4968