As California ‘roars back,’ Newsom lays out major spending for schools and higher ed.

On his “California Comeback Plan” tour the week of May 10, Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out how he wants to use an estimated $76 billion budget surplus investing in everything from homelessness to infrastructure. Education is a key part of his plan and to illustrate his commitment to K-12 schools his tour stopped May 12 at Elkhorn Elementary in Castroville where he announced $20 billion for new initiatives including creating transitional kindergarten, service-based community schools and more.

His May revised budget for 2021-22 reveals an even greater boost to education from early education to the university level. The proposed budget now includes $121.7 billion for K-12, which would boost the state’s school funding to the highest in history. If passed by the Legislature, it would also mean the highest per-pupil spending in history, boosting it from $16,800 to $21,000 from all funding sources.

The proposed budget also includes $48.7 billion to educate the state’s nearly 3 million higher education students in the state’s two university systems and community colleges, as well as prepare future students. The proposal includes one program Newsom announced at Elkhorn, college savings accounts for low-income children.

Other funds in the budget will go toward providing grants for advanced training and education for workers impacted by Covid-19, as well as expanding student housing. It also includes establishing more collaboration between K-12 districts, community colleges and universities to streamline student’s toward degrees and jobs.

The Legislature has until June 15 to amend and approve the budget.