Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature announced they had reached an agreement on the 2026-27 State Budget on June 26. Described as balanced for the next two fiscal years, spanning 2026–27 and 2027–28, it is Gov. Newsom’s last budget, capping the end of his two terms in office.

In its review of the Governor’s May Budget Revise, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated that the state’s year-over-year operational budget deficit will be close to $10 billion annually. This estimate reflects the reality that the state continues to spend more than it is taking in via state general fund revenues. And although the budget is projected to be balanced through the 2026–27 fiscal year, it is unclear whether actions taken by the Legislature and Governor to generate additional revenue — by extending and increasing some specific taxes and capping tax credits large corporations can claim — will resolve the state’s projected operational deficits.

What if the most important job of today’s schools is preparing students for a future none of us can fully imagine?

As communities across the nation continue celebrating America’s 250th birthday this year, there is much to reflect upon. For 250 years, our democracy has endured, adapted and grown through periods of extraordinary change. Yet, as I think about this milestone, I find myself focused less on the first 250 years and more on the next 250.

CSBA’s landmark SOS for Student Achievement: Close the State Accountability Gap legislative package took another major step forward on June 24 as all four bills passed out of the Senate Education Committee and advanced to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bills received bipartisan support, and no votes were placed in opposition to the legislation.

On June 11, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics scores for the country’s 9- and 13-year-olds. These scores come from NAEP’s Long-Term Trend (LTT) Assessment, which began in reading in 1971 and in math in 1973.

Using the latest data from the California Department of Education, a fact sheet recently released by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) examines trends in chronic absenteeism statewide through the 2024–25 school year.

In late April, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decided Louisiana v. Callais, a case related to Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), which allows minority voters to challenge state voting practices that make it more challenging for minority groups to participate in the electoral process. The decision makes it more difficult to provide a legal basis for using electoral districts where racial or ethnic minorities make up more than half of the population (majority-minority electoral districts) and has resulted in widespread changes to electoral maps across the country.

In recent years, several districts have scaled up their education workforce housing (EWH) efforts: Los Angeles Unified School District issued requests for proposals for multiple sites earlier this year; San Francisco and Palo Alto USDs are working on their second projects, and Santa Barbara USD has approved two projects.

Earlier this year, San Diego USD approved plans to add a total of 3,000 units for their employees — nearly triple the total number of EWH units currently open in the state. These units, spread over seven sites, would house around 10 percent of the district’s workforce, making it a true gamechanger for the district’s employees.

Across California’s Central Valley, educators are increasingly recognizing an urgent need to effectively support newcomer students while tapping into their rich linguistic and cultural assets. As these students enter new school systems, they often face significant barriers. While statewide efforts have elevated the needs of multilingual learners, newcomers represent a distinct and emerging focus that requires intentional systems, collaboration and innovation.

Reclassification of students designated as English learners (ELs) is a critical process governed by state policies that mandate using multiple criteria to ensure fairness and accuracy. However, while these policies aim to create equitable pathways for reclassification, discrepancies in local implementation can present barriers for students, according to a report released in March by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE).

CSBA’s Research and Education Policy Development Department published a trio of new literacy-related resources in May to support governance teams’ knowledge of prominent concepts, legislation, conversations on the subject and more.

“A Science of Reading Primer: What governance teams need to know” provides an overview of the science of reading, its connection to California’s English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework, current statewide literacy data and practical questions and resources that school boards can use to guide oversight and policy decisions.

Discrimination in school has many negative consequences, from the impact on school climate to individual student academic growth. A 2023 study, “A Study on Educational Discrimination and its Impact on its Future of the Pupil,” published in the International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews states, “Those who face unfair treatment or discrimination are prone to developing negative attitudes toward school, diminished motivation, lower academic achievements, an elevated risk of quitting formal education, exposure to bullying, and mental health challenges.” Districts and county offices of education (COEs) must work to eliminate such discrimination in order to create positive environments for students to learn and flourish.

Small school districts are expected to meet the same benchmarks and documentation requirements as their larger local educational agency counterparts, but they face unique challenges including limited resources and much smaller teams to accomplish this. They also hold a powerful advantage: deep community connection and the ability to make a big impact quickly.