The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool [Publication Details]

Mar 19, 2026 - In this brief, we assess the Governor’s 2026-27 proposals for child care and State Preschool and provide associated recommendations.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5168

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 19, 2026 - In 2023 ‑24, the state redirected funding associated with the statutory COLA for all programs to cover costs of the monthly cost of care plus payments. In 2025 ‑26, the state used the estimated cost of the statutory COLA to provide a uniform increase in monthly cost of care plus payments to all providers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5168

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

The 2026-27 Budget: Computer Science Supplementary Authorization

Mar 6, 2026 - However, based on our analysis, the $5,000 teachers receive under the current grants —$2,500 from the state and $2,500 from the district match —are sufficient to cover the costs of obtaining an authorization.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5153

The 2026-27 Budget: K-12 Proposals

Feb 19, 2026 - The proposal also does not specify how costs for accreditation would be covered. Without such detail, it is not possible to determine whether this would be an effective approach for ensuring accountability or whether the funding available is sufficie nt to cover the associated costs. $1   Billion Is More Than Necessary Initially, but May Not Be Sufficient Over Long Term.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5131

The 2025-26 Budget: California State University

Feb 25, 2025 - Though the number of students shifted from self‑ to state‑supported courses is smaller in 2024‑25 compared to 2023‑24 (745 FTE students shifted in summer 2024 compared to 4,705 FTE students shifted the previous summer), the effect is still not adding new students but adding new state costs from shifting students formerly in self‑supported courses into state‑supported ones.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4989

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

Nov 19, 2025 - Although our outlook treats the cost of enrollment changes as a baseline adjustment, the Legislature has discretion over how much growth to fund each year. June Budget Covered Ongoing Program Costs With One ‑Time Funds.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5093

The 2025-26 Budget: Educator Workforce

Mar 7, 2025 - Individuals may also obtain additional credentials —such as the Mathematics Instructional Leadership Specialist Credential or Mathematics Instructional Added Authorization —that provide specific training related to improving instruction in math or literacy.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5012

The 2025-26 Budget: Transitional Kindergarten Multilingual Learner Screeners

Feb 26, 2025 - CDE would be required to make the screener and training available to districts at no cost by March  1, 2026. Additionally, CDE would have to expend or encumber the funding provided by June 30, 2028. Requires Use of New Screening Tool by 2027-28.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4990