The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 19, 2026 - As part of the 2021‑22 budget package, the Legislature and Governor agreed to add 206,800 non‑CalWORKs child care slots over a multiyear period. To date, the state has funded 129,800 additional slots—a 113.8 percent increase in non‑CalWORKs slots compared to 2020‑21 levels.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5168

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

Feb 4, 2026 - A state law adopted in 2018 ‑19 establishes an alternative payment mechanism if any settle ‑up obligation remains after the state certifies the guarantee. (The state begins the certification process after adopting its final estimate of the guarantee.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5110

Assessing a Shift to Enrollment-Based School Funding

Jan 6, 2026 - (The  state adopted this mechanism in the early 1990s to prevent disproportionate funding reductions during economic downturns.) The state could use this approach during a transition period while districts adjust to enrollment ‑based funding, and then repeal it once attendance rates stabilize.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5100