Top Takeaways Budget proposal includes extending and increasing funding for the 2,500 existing community schools, teacher residencies, and multibillion dollar post-Covid learning recovery funding through 2027-28. $40 million is earmarked to continue screening all students in kindergarten, first and second grades to identify students at risk of reading difficulties. One-time infusion of $100 million to increase access to college and career pathways for high school students. Schools and community colleges can expect billions of dollars in new funding, thanks to robust tax receipts tied to wealth from artificial intelligence companies, according to the governor’s 2026-27 state budget.The state’s public universities would get hundreds of millions in new funding, a helpful infusion as they contend with federal cuts and threats.The biggest surprise in the state budget, released Friday, is an unanticipated $22 billion in additional funding for TK-12 and community colleges, beyond what was projected in the 2025-26 budget passed by the Legislature in June.This will raise state funding per student under Proposition 98 to a record $20,427 in 2026-27, according to the budget summary. Prop. 98 requires that about 40% of the general fund be allocated to schools and community colleges. Budget summaries You can find the full budget by areas here. Higher education Early ed, K-12 Prop. 98 also protects schools and community colleges from cuts. The University of California and California State University systems, on the other hand, compete with prisons, health care and environmental protection for their share of the general fund. Total per-student funding, including federal money, will…
