CSBA extended its historical leadership position in education funding advocacy by filing a lawsuit on Sept. 22 against the State of California challenging the withholding of $3.9 billion in Proposition 98 education funding under the 2026–27 State Budget.
Between August 2024 and March 2026, WestEd, in collaboration with The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, carried out a mixed methods evaluation of eight early adopter school districts located in California, Florida, Mississippi and Texas that implemented tutoring or educational technology interventions under outcomes-based contracting (OBC) agreements. The findings, detailed in a report published in July, cover associated student outcomes, district spending, the impact of OBC on district-provider relationships and more.
A Sept. 17 webinar, “Support Strategies for the Superintendent-Principal,” provided real-world examples that brought to life CSBA’s May report Two Jobs, One Person: Supporting the Superintendent-Principal, which spotlights the dual-role administrator and is proving to be a vital resource for those in the field.
New research from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) found that bilingual education programs are heavily concentrated in elementary grades, leaving many older multilingual learners without a strong path to building proficiency and mastering grade-level content.
Students who attend pre-kindergarten programs offered by public schools perform better academically through high school than those in family-based child care, according to new research from Florida International University (FIU).
“We’re pleased that CTA has joined the legal fight against the state’s continual efforts to subvert Proposition 98, which was established by California voters to guarantee at least a minimum level of funding for public education and insulate our schools from wild swings in revenue that destabilize budgets and the student experience,” said CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. “Prop 98 is not a credit card to be charged at the state’s convenience, which is why CSBA will complement its existing litigation against the state for Prop 98 violations in the 2024–25 and 2025–26 budgets with a new lawsuit challenging the withholding of $3.9 billion in funds from the 2026–27 budget that should have been disbursed to school districts and county offices of education.”
Nearly 300,000 K-12 students in California experienced homelessness in the 2024–25 school year, according to new research from the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. This represents a new statewide high and a 10 percent increase from the 2017–18 school year
Of the 13 bills signed by the Governor, CSBA tracked and was engaged with 10 that interact with the provision of education and services to children.
When students at Santa Ana High School said in 2019 that they wanted the opportunity to connect to their culture through music, leaders at HALOS — a district-funded afterschool program — got to work buying instruments popular in Latin regional music including guitars, accordions and more. Now, the Palomazo Academy, which HALOS hosts every Tuesday and Thursday, provides access to instruments and peer instruction at no cost to students. And, perhaps more importantly, it offers students a safe space to create, build confidence and connect to their roots, according to HALOS Site Supervisor Ruby Echeverria.
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released its latest snapshot of the state of California’s TK-12 education system in August. The brief examines current enrollment trends, student achievement, funding and other factors in an effort to help guide local and state policymakers in better supporting and educating California’s youth.
