California lawmakers boost education funding in budget ahead of talks with Newsom

Legislature approves a record $127B for schools and community colleges for 2026-27, backed by higher revenue forecasts and including a $2B increase for TK-12 under Prop 98, a shift of preschool funding into Prop 98, a $5B one-time block grant, and add-ons for school kitchens, career/technical education, stipends for student teachers, and support for refugees and homeless students. The budget also withholds $3.9B in Prop 98 funding pending a repayment timeline, a move education groups oppose, as two weeks of negotiations begin.