Governor Gavin Newsom dropped some major knowledge during a press conference in Sacramento on May 14, 2025, where he spilled the tea on his revised 2025-26 state budget plan. TK-12 schools and community colleges are in luck because they will be receiving the same funding as this year, with a small cost-of-living adjustment thrown in for good measure. This is all part of Newsom’s strategy to shield these educational institutions from the financial woes plaguing other state services, thanks to a predicted $12 billion drop in state revenues that Newsom conveniently blames on the “Trump slump”.
The University of California and California State University are also getting a break, as the proposed 3% cut for 2025-26 is significantly less than the nearly 8% reduction initially suggested by Newsom in January. This reduction in cuts comes at a crucial time when higher education is facing uncertainties due to potential losses in federal funding under the Trump administration. However, the 2.3% cost-of-living adjustment for community colleges and most TK-12 programs fails to consider the rising cost of housing, which is a major concern for teachers and staff.