Assessing a Shift to Enrollment-Based School Funding

Jan 6, 2026 - Alternative 3, on the other hand, provides about one ‑third of the funding increase through base funding. This approach would provide some level of flexible base funding to all districts, while being more targeted to high UPP  districts than switching to an enrollment student count methodology.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5100

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

Mar 18, 2026 - On the other hand, the proposal would require funding a new office for the SPI. Given these factors, we think the state could implement the shift while keeping overall costs roughly neutral. The Governor ’s budget, however, does not propose any specific fiscal changes to implement the proposal or identify the new funding levels for CDE, SBE, and the Office of the SPI.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165