The 2026-27 Budget: K-12 Proposals

Feb 19, 2026 - Set More Specific Time Lines Around Accreditation Process. In addition to setting an earlier date for when accreditation would begin, we recommend establishing time lines for key milestones associated with the development of the accreditation process.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5131

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

Mar 18, 2026 - This change would promote greater coherence in policymaking, including clearer lines of accountability and better alignment between policy development and administration. This change also could result in clearer direction and support for school districts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 19, 2026 - The administration has yet to provide key details, such as grant amounts, the allowable uses of funding, and time lines for when funding would be awarded. We recommend the Legislature request additional information from the administration regarding key elements of the infrastructure grant proposal.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5168

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

Feb 4, 2026 - (General Fund tax increases would increase the state’s constitutional requirements further, eroding some of the benefit to the budget’s bottom line.) These additional solutions would entail difficult decisions amidst an already tight budget.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5110

Assessing a Shift to Enrollment-Based School Funding

Jan 6, 2026 - The  Legislature also could consider maintaining the existing reporting time lines, where districts must submit data three times a year. Consistent with current practices related to ADA, we recommend any new enrollment count be subject to annual  audits.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5100