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

Mar 18, 2026 - We recommend improving oversight by making the commissioner receive Senate confirmation. Regarding fiscal issues, we recommend directing the administration to submit a fiscal plan to make the shift cost ‑neutral and identify efficiencies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165

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

Feb 4, 2026 - The uncertainty about when the state will provide the $5.6  billion and how it will cover the associated costs makes it a weak form of protection for ongoing school programs. Prohibition on Prior ‑Year Spending Reductions Contributes to Actions Making School Funding More Unpredictable.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5110

The 2026-27 Budget: K-12 Proposals

Feb 19, 2026 - Some schools also reported making changes in their curriculum so that instruction better reflects the culture, experiences , and interests of students. Model Can Be Challenging to Initiate and Sustain.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5131

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 19, 2026 - As we discuss in The 2026‑27 Budget: Overview of the Governor’s Budget , both our office and the administration project multiyear budget shortfalls beginning in 2027‑28, which will require the Legislature to make difficult spending decisions next year.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5168

Assessing a Shift to Enrollment-Based School Funding

Jan 6, 2026 - (The version of Proposition   98 approved by voters in 1988 might have allowed the Legislature to make this change, but an amendment in 1990 —Proposition   111 —tightened the attendance requirement.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5100

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: Re-Envisioning State Education Governance [Publication Details]

Mar 18, 2026 - In this brief, we examine the Governor’s proposal to restructure state governance. The first section explains how the current system evolved and describes the main entities and their responsibilities. The second section reviews previous governance studies and explains how governance works in other contexts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5165

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

Nov 19, 2025 - As growth in the guarantee accelerates, the state would be required to make deposits in 2028 ‑29 and 2029 ‑30 totaling $5.2  billion. These deposits are sensitive to changes in revenue. For  example, if revenues grow 1  percent faster than our forecast assumes in 2027 ‑28, the state would start making deposits that year.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5093

The 2026-27 Budget: Computer Science Supplementary Authorization [Publication Details]

Mar 6, 2026 - This post analyzes the Governor’s budget proposal to increase the size of grants and extend the Computer Science Supplementary Authorization Incentive program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5153

The 2026-27 Budget: Computer Science Supplementary Authorization

Mar 6, 2026 - This post analyzes the Governor’s budget proposal to increase the size of grants and extend the Computer Science Supplementary Authorization Incentive program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5153