
SAN DIEGO -- On Jan. 10, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed budget for the 2025-26 year. For districts statewide, the budget was something like finding out if Santa had brought presents or coal.
San Diego Unified leaders, along with leadership from California’s other large urban districts, sent a letter to Newsom just before Christmas. It detailed exactly what leaders were hoping to see in Newsom’s latest budget proposals – from school funding to immigrant students.
Here’s what districts got from their wish lists and what they didn’t.
On school funding: Districts’ large ask here was a complete overhaul of how the state funds schools. It would have shifted the current formula away from funding schools based on average daily attendance and toward funding based on overall enrollment.
Newsom didn’t bite. Schools will continue to be funded based on average daily attendance – at least for now.
It ain’t Coca-Cola, it’s COLA: Each year, states issue what’s called a cost-of-living-adjustment, or COLA. This COLA essentially increases school funding to account for inflation. In the letter, leaders write that state Department of Finance number crunchers’ original projection for the 2025-26 COLA was 2.93 percent. More recently, however, that estimate was reduced to 1.79 percent.
On this point, Newsom split the difference. His proposed budget institutes a 2.4 percent COLA increase, meaning districts will have to alter some elements of their projected budgets, but not as drastically as they feared. Newsom also included money to fund some math and reading coaches in K-12 schools.
On transitional kindergarten: When it comes to transitional kindergarten funding, Newsom’s proposed budget is a big win – albeit an expected one. Over the past four years, California schools have been rolling out a new grade called transitional kindergarten. Each year, younger and younger 4-year-olds were allowed to enroll in this new grade. This is the final year of the rollout, meaning all kids who turn four by Sept. 1 are eligible to enroll in the grade.
As part of that rollout process, the state required schools alter the child-to-adult ratios of their TK classrooms, shrinking them from 12 children per adult to 10 children per adult. While that requirement existed, it wouldn’t mean anything if the state didn’t fully fund the grade. Much to schools’ relief, Newsom’s proposed budget fully funds that ratio switch.
Read entire article from Voice of San Diego: https://voiceofsandiego.org/2025/01/22/the-learning-curve-heres-what-was-in-san-diego-unifieds-stocking/