So, like, every year around May 15, the governor has to redo his budget proposal, and that’s when the budget season really gets going, ya know? Just like how people stress about their money stuff, retirements, inflation mess, and not knowing what’s up with government services, the state is in the same boat. And boy, does uncertainty trickle down, man. There’s all this national craziness, messing with state revenue and budget stuff, which then messes with how the state decides to spend on education, which then affects what school districts gotta deal with as they plan their budgets by the end of June.
I was kinda hoping that all the extra cash coming in would help us out, but turns out, not really. Prop 98 has some funky rules, so even though there’s more money floating around, it’s gonna count against last year’s budget. And since the Legislature decided to skip out on the whole guarantee thing for a year, none of that extra dough is gonna make its way to schools, bummer. Looking ahead to the 2025-26 school year, the forecasts are pretty gloomy. The Legislative Analyst’s Office is predicting revenues to drop by a whopping $8 billion next year, which means schools might get around $3.5 billion less than what they’re used to.
I guess schools can expect to stick with their current programs for the upcoming year, along with a small cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of about 2.3%. Seems kinda low considering all the other expenses districts are dealing with, like pay raises due to inflation, higher costs for teachers, pensions, and whatnot. The costs are going up more than the 2.3% COLA they’re getting, which is a bit of a downer, to be honest. Not really sure why all this matters, but hey, that’s the budget game for you, I guess. Budget season sure ain’t no walk in the park, that’s for sure.
