Increases K-12 spending by $2.5 billion

Association of California School Administrators “rejects the Administration’s proposal”

California School Boards Association President, California Teachers Association President not satisfied

By John Fensterwald – This story was originally published by EdSource.org (republished with permission)

Top Takeaways

• The governor included $1.7 billion in his allocation to K-12 and community colleges, but is keeping $3.9 billion until next year.
• Newsom would raise the statutory minimum COLA from 2.87% to 4.31%.
• The revised budget reduces the cost-of-living adjustment for the California State Preschool Program to 2.01% from the January proposal of 2.41%.

With one contentious exception, school districts can check off most items on their wish list for 2026-27 with the release on Thursday of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget.

Newsom is proposing to target unexpected billions of dollars from surging state revenues to the priorities that school district leaders had prized, including a higher cost-of-living adjustment, billions of dollars more annually for special education, and a one-time, much larger discretionary block grant.

Also, all employees of community colleges and TK-12 schools will be entitled to up to 14 weeks of paid pregnancy disability leave beginning in 2026-27, which the higher COLA will pay for.

But there remains a major point of contention: Newsom is still withholding $3.9 billion in Proposition 98 funding that school organizations say should go to schools and community colleges now.

School districts had complained loudly that their base funding hadn’t kept up with rising expenses, particularly special education and declining enrollment. Amid overall record state funding, Newsom prioritized new initiatives, including the addition of transitional kindergarten, the creation of community schools and expanded learning after school and during the summer.

“People were looking for base money in their pocket,” said Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee. “The attention to a higher COLA and special education is welcome news.”

Ted Lempert, president of the nonprofit advocacy organization Children Now, said, “Big picture, the May revision puts $8.1 billion more than the January budget into education. While it’s not perfect, we really appreciate it. The governor and Legislature have done a better job in the last couple of years of protecting funding. That said, kids are still way behind.”

Tempering praise for the higher COLA and special education funding, California School Boards Association President Debra Schade said in a statement, “Unfortunately, the Governor’s May Revise masks the underfunding of the Proposition 98 school funding guarantee and the prolific use of one-time money to inflate funding levels in the short term without providing the stability and predictability schools need to plan effectively for student support. “

In his January budget, Newsom said he would withhold $5.6 billion from schools and community colleges until he was certain, early in 2027, that state revenue had actually come through. Schools objected, and the California Teachers Association and the school boards association have threatened to sue on the principle that the Prop. 98 allocations are a voter-approved constitutional guarantee.

In the May revision, Newsom included $1.7 billion in his allocation, but is still keeping $3.9 billion until early next year, when the next governor can reassess. This continues to frustrate school organizations.

“ACSA rejects the Administration’s proposal, as these funds belong in classrooms supporting students,” said Edgar Zazueta, executive director of the Association of California School Administrators. “As budget negotiations move forward, ACSA will continue advocating for a final budget that fully honors the state’s constitutional commitment to public education.” 

CTA President David Goldberg said withholding the funds “causes serious harm to public schools. This means overcrowded, under-resourced, destabilized classrooms.” This week, he said, “more than 2,000 educators will find out if their layoff notice is permanent heading into the next school year … and their future is in jeopardy with threats to withhold vital funds from our local school districts.”  

Asked about the issue during a state budget presentation Thursday, Newsom said education advocates should take a wider view.

“We made some accommodation to that concern, and I would just have them look at the entire balance sheet and be hard-pressed to find an administration over a seven-year period that’s invested more in transforming our TK — a brand new grade — to 12 education system,” Newsom told reporters “(We’ve made) unprecedented, historic investments per pupil, investments that are the envy of many other states.”

The revised funding estimate for Proposition 98, the 40% of the state general fund that must go to TK-12 and community colleges, would be a record $127.1 billion in 2026-27. Per student funding would increase to a record $21,013 per pupil. Funding per pupil from federal and other sources would be $28,282.

That overall revenue estimate, however, would appear at least several billion dollars less than the Senate and the independent Legislative Analyst’s Office had forecast. The May revision marks the starting line for a final dash toward the Legislature’s June 15 deadline, followed by negotiations between Newsom and legislative leaders, with final passage by the July 1 start of the fiscal year.

Laird said that including the withheld $3.9 billion for schools and community colleges will be one of the items. Additional revenue projections, based on May tax receipts, will be a factor.

Here are some budget specifics:

COLA: Newsom would raise the statutory minimum COLA of 2.87%, determined by a federal formula that does not consider the price of housing, to 4.31%. The effect would raise COLA for districts’ operating expenses, through the Local Control Funding Formula, from $3.1 billion proposed in January to $4 billion. Other programs, including special education, would get the statutory COLA of 2.87%

The 4.31% would become the new base for determining COLA calculations in future years.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: State and federal special education fall well short of districts’ obligations for students with disabilities. Additional state funding for special education offsets districts’ base expenses. Newsom would add $1.8 billion to the extra $509 million increase he proposed in January for a total of $2.4 billion — 43% more than a year ago.

Newsom characterized it as “the largest investment in special education in California’s history … maybe in American history.”

“It’s an area that has continued to be anxiety-inducing because you meet with parents, and they’re demanding more, and we’ve heard that call,” he said.

BLOCK GRANT: In January, Newsom proposed a one-time $2.8 billion grant; he has raised it to $5 billion. He calls it the Student Support and Professional Development Block Grant, and implies it should be used for teacher training for math, reading and literacy support for English learners, along with career pathways and expanding dual enrollment. But districts will have wide latitude to spend the money as they choose.

RAINY DAY FUND: Newsom would raise the Proposition 98 reserve to $10.3 billion, approaching the statutory maximum, as a cushion in the event of a recession or if the spigot of projected revenues from tax receipts from AI startups runs dry.

John Affeldt, managing attorney for Public Advocates, a public interest law firm, warned that the state should plan for that to happen. “Our state cannot continue to rely on temporary AI stock market bubbles,” he said. “To build a budget that will enable our residents to thrive, California needs more robust permanent revenue streams to support our schools and healthy communities. We cannot ask teachers to transform students’ lives while those same teachers are being priced out of the communities they serve.”

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: Newsom would add $1 billion to the $4.1 billion previously invested in creating 2,500 community schools, which provide community partnerships involving wellness, mental health and career opportunities. His May revision would also repurpose nearly $500 million in extension grants to add more community schools.

“We lead and dominate the nation in community schools,” Newsom said Thursday.

LITERACY AND MATH INSTRUCTION: Since 2019, the state has funded $715 million to hire and train reading specialists and coaches in high-poverty schools — a key element in the state’s comprehensive early literacy plan. But that money, in one-time grants, will expire over the next three years. Newsom proposes $440 million to extend the grants through 2031.

He would also add $60 million to the $30 million funded last year for the Mathematics Professional Learning Partnership, which is creating a statewide network to train coaches and math specialists in the 2023 math framework. Still missing: funding for elementary schools to hire coaches.

Newsom is also encouraging districts to use some of the $5 billion in the discretionary block grant for literacy and math instruction. 

Early education and care

In his presentation, the governor largely overlooked early education and child care. The proposal allocates $15 million toward training to help with the implementation of programs such as Transitional Kindergarten and $5 million in ongoing funding to support the use of the Multitudes dyslexia screener at no cost to districts. 

But the revised budget reduces the cost-of-living adjustment for the California State Preschool Program to 2.01% from the January proposal of 2.41%. The governor also did not address calls from early education advocates to help support pre-K programs that have been struggling after losing large numbers of children to the new TK programs offered by the state’s public schools. 

Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, a nonprofit organization that advocates for accessible, high-quality early learning, said the reduction to the cost-of-living adjustment sends a troubling signal to providers who are already operating on the margins.

“Access to affordable child care isn’t just an early learning issue, it’s essential to families’ economic well-being,” she said. “The governor has been a strong champion for children during his years in office, and we’ll be urging the Administration and the Legislature to fulfill the promise of funding additional child care slots and restoring COLA before the budget is finalized.”

In particular, the governor’s plan to significantly increase the cost-of-living allowance for TK-12 schools while cutting it for preschools drew fire. 

“He decided to backstop health premiums and local schools, while punting on aiding families who desperately search for affordable child care,” said Bruce Fuller, who co-authored a new report from the UC Berkeley Equity and Excellence in Early Childhood alliance on the dire outlook many pre-K programs are facing. 

Lempert, of Children Now, said he hoped the cuts to the early education COLA would be reversed by the Legislature in the final budget.

the STATE BUDGET PROCESS

Governor’s initial budget proposal:

• Must be released by Jan. 10.
• Assumes an estimate of revenues the state will collect over the next 18 months (by June 30, 2027). Actual revenues often differ significantly due to economic conditions, federal policy and unforeseen events, such as the destructive fires in Los Angeles.

MAY 14 revision:

Governor issues May budget with revised general fund revenues, including its impact on Proposition 98.

LATE MAY to EARLY JUNE:

Legislature’s budget subcommittees report to the full budget committees.

JUNE 15:

Constitutional deadline for the Legislature to pass the budget bill.

MID-JUNE TO LATE JUNE:

Negotiations between the Assembly speaker and the Senate president pro tempore with the governor; the Legislature passes the final budget, and the governor signs it before the fiscal year starts on July 1.

Legislature’s response: 

The Assembly and Senate have until June 15 to hold hearings and respond with their own version.

Negotiation: 

Behind closed doors, legislative leaders and the governor settle differences. Lawmakers sign off, and the governor signs the final version.

Governors have increasingly used the budget to rewrite statutes outside the legislative process. That’s why it’s important to read the fine print in massive “budget trailer bills” written after the budget is passed.

About 40% of the state’s general fund will go to schools and community colleges. The bulk goes to keeping schools running, but in some years, new money is spent on new programs, such as transitional kindergarten and community schools.

Budget summaries

You can find the full budget by areas here.

• TK-12
• Higher Education

By City of Antioch

The City of Antioch has received questions regarding an earthy or musty taste and odor in drinking water. While the taste may be unpleasant to some residents, the water remains safe to drink.

The taste and odor are caused by naturally occurring organic materials in the San Joaquin River, which is Antioch’s primary water source. One naturally occurring compound, called geosmin, can be detected by people at extremely low levels and is commonly associated with the earthy smell after rainfall.

The City’s treatment process neutralizes the bacteria responsible for creating these compounds, though the taste and odor may still remain temporarily.

To help improve taste, residents can:

• Chill tap water before drinking
• Add lemon juice
• Use a Brita or similar water filter

The City of Antioch operates its own water treatment plant. For more information visit www.antiochca.gov/583/Water-Treatment.

Over 16 positions saved at request of three trustees, but no teachers

Board first heard from state’s Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team CEO

By Allen D. Payton

During another long meeting, the Antioch School Board, on Wednesday night, May 13, 2026, on split votes cut the District budget, and laid off 159 employees including 48 teachers and 30 other Certificated staff. Area 3 Trustee Dee Brown voted to abstain on all three votes. But the Board voted unanimously to accept the offer of one-day furloughs by Superintendent Dr. Darnise Williams and administrative staff, including principals. That will save the District about $117,000.

The meeting and votes followed split votes the previous Wednesday when the Board majority opposed the budget and staff cuts. The Board again met at 7:00 p.m. in the Deer Valley High School Theater with the expectation of a greater turnout than the District’s Board Room could accommodate. But that, once again, proved to be unnecessary as very few teachers, staff and members of the public attended the meeting.

The District was facing a $31.5 million budget deficit and the proposed budget cuts totaled $18.7 million. But how much was actually cut wasn’t clear due to the over 16 Classified staff positions that were saved. Also saved, was the District from a potential takeover by the State and County Offices of Education, known as receivership.

The Board faced two deadlines requiring them to vote to make the cuts that night. First, the District had to give final layoff notices to employees by Thursday, May 14th as well as submit their financial plan to the County Office of Education by Friday, May 15th.

The trustees heard from District staff, including Bob Carson, president of the Antioch Education Association, the local teachers’ union, who supported the cuts to avoid the takeover and from residents who opposed them.

Then the Board was provided a presentation Regarding Projected Cash Flow by Mike Fine, the Chief Executive Officer of the California Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), which, “assists and provides guidance to local educational agencies in the areas of business and financial management practices.” He described his organization as “the guardian of the receivership process” but stressed to the trustees that FCMAT’s efforts were to work with financially challenged districts to avoid it.

“The majority of our work is absolutely avoiding receivership,” he added, which he estimated to be 80% of FCMAT’s work.

Fine also informed the Board and District leadership that the expected May Revised Budget from Governor Newsom on Thursday would change the financial figures being discussed and that it would be positive for the District. That turned out to possibly be true as the governor’s 2026-27 budget proposal increases spending on K-12 by $2.5 billion. (See related article)

Trustee Requests & Board Votes

Following several responses to questions by District staff and requests by individual trustees to save certain jobs, including school psychiatrists and Reading Intervention Teachers by Area 5 Trustee Mary Rocha and Paraeducators by Area 3 Trustee Dee Brown, who was also unsatisfied with requests for information from District staff not being provided, the Board took three split votes.

Area 4 Trustee Olga Cobos-Smith was satisfied that the District didn’t need one psychiatrist per school because best practices only required one for every 500 to 700 students. That was enough for her to change her “no” vote on the budget from last week. After Rocha was satisfied with the explanation from District staff that they had a plan to handle the loss of the Reading Intervention Teachers, she joined the other three trustees in voting in favor of cutting the Classified staff positions.

At 11:34 PM, on a vote of 3-1-1 with Rocha voting “no” and Brown voting to abstain, the Trustees approved the Budget Reduction Plan including the concessions that saved several specific jobs.

The Board the voted 3-1-1, again, on final layoffs of 78 Certificated employees which, were mainly teachers. 

After Rocha was able to get the other board members to agree to saving the jobs of the Behavior Support Specialists (3 FTE), Board Certified Behavior Analyst (1 FTE) and Instructional Assistants – Bilingual (12.4275 FTE), the Trustees voted 4-0-1 on final layoffs of a little over 81 Full-Time Equivalent Classified Services employees. Brown again, voted to abstain.

The Board also voted to accept the superficial gesture of one-day furlough by the superintendent and administrative staff including principals. It means those staff members won’t be paid but also don’t have to show up for work that day. After Rocha asked about increasing it to three days, Dr. Williams said that would have to be taken to the Personnel Commission, first. The motion on the matter then passed 5-0, saving the District approximately $117,437.

The Board’s work on the budget is not over as they still face another deadline in October, Dr. Williams shared. But by then, with additional state funds, assuming the governor’s budget proposals are approved by the legislature, the Antioch trustees job may get easier.

Watch the Board Meeting video on the District’s YouTube Channel.

Social Media Team celebrates with City Manager, Department Director and staff

By Allen D. Payton

Antioch Parks & Recreation was recognized earlier this year for outstanding marketing and community outreach. They received the Excellence in Marketing Award from the California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) District 3. This award highlights the team’s dedication to innovative communication and meaningful engagement with our residents.

With the theme of “Excellence in Bloom”, on February 26 at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, the 2025 Awards and Installation Banquet was held to “celebrate the incredible achievements across our district, recognize outstanding leaders, and enjoy an afternoon of connection, recognition and inspiration.”

In an email to City of Antioch Recreation Department staff on February 19, 2026, the CPRS District 3 Board wrote: “Congratulations! Our panel of seven Past Presidents served as judges, and your application for the Excellence in Marketing Award has been selected as a winner. Congratulations! Cheers!”

Asked who attended the event, Parks & Recreation Director Shahad Wright said, “We had almost our whole team there.”

That included City Manager Bessie Scott, Administrative Analyst Emily Reinard, Recreation Supervisors Jun Gandia, Jaylyn Valenzuela and La’Nae Jackson, Coordinator Victoria Alvarado and Wright.

Posts on the City’s Instagram account read, “We’re proud of the work being done to connect Antioch to programs, events, and opportunities year-round. What an amazing award for the department for the wonderful team that works daily to keep Antioch residents informed, entertained and inspired.

“A special thank you to each and every recreation employee that helps support the marketing team in their efforts and an extra special thank you to each marketing team member that are often behind the lens capturing moments of laughter, enjoyment, and community for Antioch residents to enjoy. Way to go, team!”

Wright shared a “video made by our social media team, the real stars of the team who take the photos and create the videos.”

According to the organization, the “CPRS District 3 Awards are an opportunity to recognize outstanding programs, projects, and individuals in the field of Parks and Recreation. Celebrate innovation, creativity and excellence by submitting nominations showcasing our field’s best of the best.” The Excellence in Marketing is a new and competitive award which celebrates outstanding achievements in developing and implementing innovative and effective marketing campaigns, materials, or strategies that enhance the visibility, engagement and impact of parks and recreation services.

The 2025 CPRS District 3 Award Program categories included:

AGENCY AWARDS (non-competitive)

● Outstanding Volunteer in Parks & Recreation

● Outstanding Non-Profit Organization Partner in Parks & Recreation

● Outstanding Business Partner in Parks & Recreation

AGENCY SHOWCASE AWARDS (competitive)

● Outstanding Facility/Park

● Outstanding Recreation Program/Special Event

● Outstanding Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Impact Award Program/Training

● Excellence in Marketing *new*

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AWARDS

● RISING STAR *new* (non-competitive)

● LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT (non-competitive)

● MVP (competitive)

Each agency could submit up to one entry per category.

—————

In an email to his fellow department staff the following day, Gandia wrote, “WE DID IT! We have been honored with the CPRS Excellence in Marketing Award, a recognition that reflects our collective hard work, creativity, and determination!

“This incredible achievement was made possible by the outstanding teamwork of our Social Media and Marketing Committee, who brought ideas to life with passion and innovation. A huge shoutout to our talented photographers, videographers, and graphic designers, whose visual storytelling elevated our campaigns to new heights

“I’d like to extend a special thanks to La’Nae (Jackson) for helping me with application compiling all the data and analytics. Your dedication and expertise were pivotal in presenting our achievements in the best light.

“This award is not just a trophy on the shelf; it’s a testament to what we can accomplish together. ‘Teamwork makes the dream work,’ and this recognition is proof that our collaboration and commitment can lead to extraordinary results.

“Thank you once again to everyone for your contributions, creativity, and enthusiasm. Let’s celebrate this win and continue pushing forward.”

Organization

The California Park & Recreation Society is proud to serve a vibrant community of professionals through our 15 geographic Districts and 8 Sections that focus on areas like aquatics, aging services, recreation, administration, and more. CPRS District 3 is part of Region 1 andincludes 35 cities, districts and agencies in Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

48-year-old Concord man with history of arrests died from injuries sustained in beating near Antioch waterfront

By Lt. William Whitaker #6155, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

The Antioch Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating the driver of the vehicle pictured above in connection with an ongoing investigation related to an incident that occurred on March 13, 2026.

Investigators would like to speak with this individual to obtain additional information and better understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.

As previously reported, on Friday, March 13th at 5:42 p.m., Antioch police officers responded to the 700 block of W. 1st Street for a report of a physical fight in progress.

UPDATE 1: The 48-year-old victim, later identified as Leon Belcher of Concord, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. He never regained consciousness and was removed from life support on March 21, 2026.

The Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau is actively investigating this incident.

Anyone who recognizes the driver or has information that may assist investigators is encouraged to contact Detective Jeong at (925) 779-6933 or jjeong@antiochca.gov.

UPDATE 2: According to localcrimenews.com, he was White and five-feet, 11 inches tall, with a history of arrests dating back to 2014, including just nine days before on March 4th in Solano County for driving without a license suspended for drunk driving. His previous arrests were for crimes including assault, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, battery on a spouse, cohabitant or former spouse, false imprisonment by violence, cruelty to a child by inflicting injury and child endangerment.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds to pay for Belcher’s cremation. According to Nicole Mathews, who set up the page, “Leon Belcher was the loving father of Cameron and Michael Belcher. He lived life with a carefree spirit, always ready for a fishing trip or a ride on his Harley. Leon was surrounded by many friends who loved him dearly, and he brought joy and adventure to everyone who knew him.

“On March 13th, Leon suffered a tragic injury in Antioch, California, when he was struck in the head. He was placed on life support at the hospital, and after a difficult week, his two sons made the heartbreaking decision to take him off life support on March 21st.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Antioch Police Department

The Antioch Police Department is reminding everyone to Look Twice for Motorcycles. As the weather warms up, more riders are out on the road, making it important for all drivers to stay alert and help prevent crashes and save lives.

“Most crashes involving motorcycles happen when drivers simply don’t see them. Taking a few extra seconds to look twice can prevent a tragedy.” — Sergeant Rob Green

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 6,335 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes nationwide in 2023. In California, 583 motorcyclists lost their lives.

Drivers

• Check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes

• Leave plenty of space between your vehicle and motorcycles

• Watch for turn signals and make sure riders are actually turning before proceeding

Motorcyclists

• Wear a DOT-compliant helmet and eye protection

• Wear protective gear and reflective clothing

• Ride defensively and avoid blind spots

• Keep headlights on, even during the day

Never drive or ride distracted or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

By Allen D. Payton

After more than 20 years, the rodeo returns to the Contra Costa County Fair, this year, with Bulls and Broncs beginning 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026.

The Silver Bridge Rodeo Company brings the spirit of the West to life with world-class bull riding and broncs events that showcase the grit, skill, and courage of rodeo’s toughest athletes. From thunderous eight-second rides to airborne broncs and charging bulls!

General Admission is $19.00. Does not include Fair admission.

Rodeo Event Tickets sold separately online through Saffire Ticket by clicking, HERE.

For more information about the 2026 Contra Costa County Fair visit www.contracostafair.com.

By City of Antioch Recreation Department

Honoring the brave men and women who gave everything for our freedom. Join us this Memorial Day as the Delta Veterans Group and the City of Antioch come together to remember, reflect and honor our fallen heroes.

According to MemorialDay2026.com, “Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States dedicated to honoring and mourning military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s a day of remembrance, reflection and gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice made by service members throughout American history.

“Memorial Day traces its roots to the years following the Civil War, when communities across America began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. Originally called ‘Decoration Day,’ the observance was first widely celebrated on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

“After World War I, Memorial Day evolved from honoring just Civil War casualties to commemorating American military personnel who died in all wars. In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, officially declaring Memorial Day a federal holiday and moving its observance to the last Monday in May.”

Oak View Memorial Park Cemetery

2500 E. 18th Street, Antioch

8:00 AM – Pancake Breakfast

10:00 AM – Memorial Day Ceremony

Antioch Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6435

815 Fulton Shipyard Road, Antioch

12:00 PM – Lunch at Antioch VFW

Let us stand united in gratitude and remembrance.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.