State
Governor’s final May Budget Revise increases COLA, keeps Prop 98 withholding
Budget proposal also relies on many one-time funds
On May 14, Gov. Gavin Newsom presented the May revision to his January Budget Proposal, announcing a balanced budget for the next two fiscal years. Notably, revenues — largely driven by higher-than-expected increases in personal income and capital gains — are $16.5 billion more than projected in January.
SOS for Student Achievement
Advocacy
policy
What’sInside
Advocacy
CSBA convenes statewide education leaders at press event to demand Prop 98 be protected
Local district leaders joined with CSBA, ACSA, CFT and CTA to warn about classroom impacts
Local educators, school board members and students gathered at Washington Unified School District’s River City High School on May 5 to urge state leaders to reject efforts to shortchange education funding by $5.6 billion in the 2026–27 State Budget, ahead of the May Revise. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal would withhold over $900 per student from California’s public schools, forcing difficult cuts in classrooms and communities across the state, creating hardships for students and placing obstacles in the path of academic progress.
Staff
Chief Communications Officer:
Troy Flint | tflint@csba.org
Editorial Director:
Kimberly Sellery | ksellery@csba.org
Staff Writers and Contributors:
Alisha Kirby | akirby@csba.org
Heather Kemp | hkemp@csba.org
Chris Reefe | creefe@csba.org
Dana Scott | dscott@csba.org
Jennifer Santos | jsantos@csba.org
Marketing & Communications Director:
Monica Griffis | mgriffis@csba.org
Graphic Design & Branding Director:
Kerry Macklin | kmacklin@csba.org
Graphic Designers:
Thairah Singharath | tsingharath@csba.org
Amanda Moen | amoen@csba.org
Officers
President:
Dr. Debra Schade | Solana Beach SD
Dr. Debra Schade | Solana Beach SD
President-elect:
Sabrena Rodriguez | Ventura USD
Vice President:
Jackie Thu-Huong Wong | Washington USD
Immediate Past President:
Dr. Bettye Lusk | Monterey Peninsula USD
CEO & Executive Director:
Vernon M. Billy
The California School Boards Association is the essential voice for public education. We inspire our members to be knowledgeable leaders, extraordinary governance practitioners and ardent advocates for all students.
California School News (ISSN 1091-1715) is published 11 times per year by the California School Boards Association, Inc., 3251 Beacon Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691. 916-371-4691. $4 of CSBA annual membership dues is for the subscription to California School News. The subscription rate for each CSBA nonmember is $35. Periodicals postage paid at West Sacramento, CA and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to California School News, 3251 Beacon Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691.
News and feature items submitted for publication are edited for style and space as necessary.
President’s Message: Dr. Debra Schade
The season of celebration
Honoring the student journey
There is a distinct energy that arrives in schools as the academic year draws to a close. It shows up in small moments — a classroom countdown, a carefully folded cap and gown, a kindergarten student practicing songs for a ceremony that feels as significant as any commencement stage. Across public education, this is the season when we pause to celebrate.
For school board members, these are not simply events on a calendar. They are public expressions of what we value: growth, perseverance, belonging and the belief that every student’s journey deserves recognition.
POLICY
CSBA’s new Policy Toolkit is now available
The toolkit contains actionable resources to support LEAs in this challenging, vital work
Good policies improve how schools function, help students succeed, reduce confusion and build trust with the community. By regularly reviewing policies, district and county office of education boards can ensure their schools run smoothly, meet legal requirements and serve the needs of all students.
To assist in this process, CSBA has developed a Board Policy Development Toolkit to equip governance teams with the tools needed to create effective policies, foster shared understanding and informed decision-making, and enhance local educational agencies’ ability to adopt and maintain strong policy practices.
Advocacy
CSBA-ACSA Coast2Coast 2026 delivered a united voice for California students
LEA leaders from around the state gathered to advocate directly with representatives
When education leaders take the time to show up, share their stories and speak with clarity and purpose, they help shape policies that directly affect students’ lives. This truth was on full display when school board members and superintendents from across California gathered in Washington, D.C. from April 12-15 for the 2026 CSBA-ACSA Coast2Coast Federal Advocacy Trip.
SOS for Student Achievement
CSBA’s SOS for Student Achievement legislative package passes committee with bipartisan support
The four-bill package passed with unanimous support
On April 8, CSBA’s SOS for Student Achievement four-bill legislative package was heard by the Assembly Education Committee. All four bills passed out of the committee unanimously. CSBA expresses its deep gratitude for the many local educational agencies that sent in letters of support to the Legislature and for those who came to support the effort in person.
Governance corner
Practical tips from our MIG faculty
The importance and purpose of a governance handbook
One of the lessons we in the education community all learned during COVID was that in order to navigate through the many challenges we faced, there must be clarity around procedures, protocols and agreed-upon commitments. These criteria should be compiled in a handbook that can guide a governance team’s actions in order to keep everyone as safe as possible, following important county, state and federal requirements, and communicating with the public. A governance handbook adopted by the board of education plays a critical role in the important work of governance.
Resources
New CSBA resources to support foster youth in California
The latest in the Students in Focus series provides best practices for this vulnerable student group
CSBA’s Research and Education Policy Development Department recently released two briefs and a fact sheet to support local educational agency governance teams in better serving one of their most vulnerable student groups: foster youth. Combined, these resources provide current data about enrollment and demographics, chronic absenteeism and discipline, and academic achievement and attainment, as well as promising practices for supporting foster youth, questions for governance teams to consider, information about state and federal legislation, and resources.
County
Strengthening early learning in Los Angeles County
The county office and Saugus USD aim to align early education through third grade
The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), through its Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) initiative, has made strides in recent months with professional development and supports for districts within its boarders.
In April, Saugus Union School District’s Rosedell Elementary opened its newest transitional kindergarten (TK) demonstration classroom, supported by LACOE, which was designed to showcase best practices within the county. Those at the launch said children engage in play cooperatively and display various skills needed to succeed as they graduate from one grade level to the next.
RESOURCES
Clovis Unified celebrates student success through cultural connections
In recognition of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, CSBA highlights the district’s commitment to representation and student voice
In December 2025, more than 600 Clovis Unified School District high school and middle school students attended the district’s 13th annual Asian American Student Success Conference. The conference, held at Clovis East High, celebrates a different region each year and 2025 spotlighted the Cambodian culture while focusing on the theme of “Where Traditions Inspire Tomorrow.” This conference is one of several cultural celebrations Clovis USD holds throughout the year.
POLICY
The importance of keeping board policies current
CSBA’s Policy Development Workshop can help
Board policies are more than administrative documents. They establish the rules of governance for a school district or county office of education, guide decisions made by staff and administrators, reflect obligations under state and federal law, and articulate a local educational agency’s mission and values. When policies are kept current, they give a shared foundation from which to work. When policies become outdated, however, gaps form between what an LEA officially requires and what happens in practice; and those gaps can carry legal and operational consequences.
LEGAL
Student free speech rights
Student speech is protected by the First Amendment regardless of age but “totality of relevant facts” must be considered
Legal actions regarding student free speech often concern older students’ speech as shown in well-known U.S. Supreme Court cases like Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, Bethel School District v. Fraser and Morse v. Frederick, which all involved junior high school and high school students. While elementary age students may express ideas that raise First Amendment free speech questions less frequently than their older peers, the question of their rights to speak at school nonetheless hold legal weight worth considering.
UpcomingEvents info: 800-266-3382
Attention: For more information about events, visit www.csba.org/TrainingAndEvents.
Virtual Events
In-person events
Thanks for reading our May 2026 newsletter!