Staff
- Sara Cortez
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(916) 319-8348
Special Education, Preschool, Child Nutrition, and Facilities - Kenneth Kapphahn
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(916) 319-8339
Proposition 98, School District Budgets, School Transportation - Lisa Qing
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(916) 319-8306
California Community Colleges - Michael Alferes
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(916) 319-8338
Local Control Funding Formula, Charter Schools, Alternative Schools, High School Career Technical Education - Natalie Gonzalez
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(916) 319-8320
California State University, Student Financial Aid - Dylan Hawksworth-Lutzow
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(916) 319-8308
Child Care, Expanded Learning, Teachers, and Education Technology - Edgar Cabral
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(916) 319-8343
Deputy Legislative Analyst: K-12 Education - Jennifer Pacella
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(916) 319-8332
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Higher Education - Florence Bouvet
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(916) 319-8310
University of California; College of the Law, San Francisco; California State Library
Publications
Education
To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.
Assessment of CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025
December 10, 2025 - This report focuses on the California State University’s (CSU’s) Graduation Initiative 2025 (GI 2025). This initiative aimed to increase graduation rates and close gaps in graduation rates among particular student groups by 2025. In the report, we provide background on GI 2025, then discuss associated funding and activities. Next, we analyze the outcomes and assess the benefits and drawbacks of GI 2025. Lastly, we make recommendations for the Legislature to consider as it contemplates its involvement in CSU’s next graduation initiative.
Assessment of the Strong Workforce Program
December 10, 2025 - This report focuses on the Strong Workforce Program, which the state created to increase the availability and quality of career technical education at the California Community Colleges. We provide background on the program, assess its implementation and outcomes, and raise a few issues to consider relating to coordination of workforce development programs more broadly.
The 2026-27 Budget: Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges
November 19, 2025 - We forecast that increases to the Proposition 98 guarantee in 2024-25 and 2025-26, coupled with a preexisting payment obligation, require the state to provide nearly $7.4 billion in one-time funds for schools and community colleges. For 2026-27, we estimate the guarantee is $117.8 billion, an increase of $3.2 billion (2.8 percent) from the previously enacted level. This growth—combined with a required reserve withdrawal—would be just enough to fund a 2.51 percent statutory cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The state could use the one-time funds to build budget resiliency, which seems especially important given the risks of a stock market downturn.
The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Higher Education
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November 14, 2025 - This post summarizes the state’s 2025-26 spending package for higher education. It is part of our Spending Plan series. In this post, we provide an overview of the state’s higher education spending package, then cover spending for the California Community Colleges (CCC), California State University (CSU), University of California (UC), student financial aid, and California State Library. The EdBudget part of our website contains many tables providing more detail about the 2025-26 education budget.
The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Child Care and State Preschool
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November 14, 2025 - This post summarizes Child Care and State Preschool spending in the 2025-26 budget package.
The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Proposition 98 and K-12 Education
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November 10, 2025 - This post summarizes Proposition 98 funding and K-12 education spending in the 2025-26 budget package.
Overview of Major Impacts of H.R. 1 – One Big Beautiful Bill Act
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August 20, 2025 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight
The 2025-26 Budget: Analysis of the School and Community College Funding Split
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May 20, 2025 - The 2025-26 Budget: Analysis of the School and Community College Funding Split
The 2025-26 Budget: Analysis of the May Revision K-14 Education Plan
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May 20, 2025 - The 2025-26 Budget: Analysis of the May Revision K-14 Education Plan
Trends in Higher Education
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April 30, 2025 - From January 2024 through April 2025, we released six analytical reports focused on higher education trends. The reports cover trends in student access, college affordability, student outcomes, finance, faculty and staff, and facilities. The series has two main objectives. The first is to help legislators, staff, and the general public track many of the key changes that higher education has undergone over the past few decades. The second is to help legislators better navigate the future. To this end, each brief is punctuated by key issues for legislators to consider as they move forward in making higher education policy and budget decisions.
Trends in Higher Education: Facilities
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April 30, 2025 - This is the final brief of a six-part series covering higher education trends in California. This brief focuses on higher education facilities. The brief includes key issues for the Legislature to consider as it makes related policy and budget decisions.
The 2025-26 Budget: Scholarshare Investment Board
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April 30, 2025 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s budget proposal to provide the Scholarshare Investment Board with three additional employee positions to support the California Kids Investment and Development Savings program.
Child Care Funding Rates and Transition to an Alternative Methodology
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April 3, 2025 - Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 On Health and Human Services
The 2025-26 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool
March 28, 2025 - In this brief, we assess the Governor’s 2025-26 child care and State Preschool budget proposals and provide associated recommendations. We also revisit three related policies that may no longer align with the Legislature’s key priorities.
Overview of K-12 Career Technical Education
March 25, 2025 - This brief is intended to give policymakers a high-level overview of the state’s role in supporting K-12 career technical education programs. We also raise key issues for the Legislature as it considers policy and budget decisions related to career technical education.