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Governor's State of the State Address: Record Education Funding & Major Governance Proposal

  • Jan 8
  • 2 min read

Contact: Brianna Bruns

January 8, 2026



Governor's State of the State Address: Record Education Funding & Major Governance Proposal


Today, Governor Newsom delivered his State of the State Address, highlighting a $248 billion general fund budget, $42.3 billion higher than previously forecasted, with historic investments in California's education system and a significant proposal to modernize education governance statewide. Watch the address here.


Record Education Investments


The 2026-27 Governor's Budget includes unprecedented funding levels and program expansions:


  • $27,418 per-pupil spending, a record high for California

  • $1 billion in additional funding for community schools

  • Full funding for Transitional Kindergarten expansion

  • Continued universal meals funding, with new efforts to eliminate ultra-processed foods from school menus

  • Sustained funding for universal afterschool programs


Major Governance Reform Proposal


The State of the State also highlighted a significant restructuring of California's education governance system.


Key Changes:

  • The Governor would, under the authority of the State Board of Education, hire a director of the Department of Education. The hired individual would be comparable to a cabinet secretary.

  • Empowers the State Board of Education to directly oversee the Department of Education, aligning with recommendations from the 2002 California Master Plan for Education

  • Expands the State Superintendent of Public Instruction's role to coordinate policy from early childhood through postsecondary systems

  • Aims to create clearer accountability and stronger alignment across California's fragmented education governance structure


Our Position:


As President Todd Finnell stated in the Governor's press release:

"The Governor's proposal to strengthen coordination and alignment across California's public education system is long overdue. While local educational leaders remain accountable to their communities, this proposal takes an essential step toward establishing clear, coherent accountability from the classroom to the Governor's office—ensuring stronger leadership and improved outcomes for students statewide. We welcome the opportunity to contribute to this work and to draw on our extensive experience serving students, because this moment for meaningful change is too important to miss and must be done well."

Additional Resources:

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