May Revision 2026 — CASchoolBudgetData.com

❓

What Is the May Revision?

Every January, the Governor releases a proposed state budget. That proposal is based on estimates of how much tax revenue California will collect during the year.

But April 15 is Tax Day — the date when most Californians file their income taxes. Once the tax returns come in, the state knows how much money it actually has. On May 15th, the Governor releases the May Revision: an updated budget that reflects those real revenue numbers.

If revenues came in higher than expected, the May Revision typically includes more funding for education. If revenues came in lower, the May Revision may propose cuts — even to programs that were funded in January.

For school districts and the people who work in them, the May Revision is often the most consequential budget moment of the year.

    Why it matters for bargaining: Many districts wait until after the May Revision to finalize their budget assumptions. If your anyone at the table is at the table in the spring, the May Revision is the number your employer is watching. So should you.
  

👀

What to Watch For on May 15

📈

LCFF COLA — Will It Hold?

The January proposal included a 2.41% Cost of Living Adjustment for LCFF — adding roughly $2 billion to discretionary district revenue. The May Revision will confirm, increase, or cut this number based on actual state revenues. This directly affects every district's operating budget.

🚌

Transportation Funding

The January budget included $561 million for Home-to-School Transportation ($322M one-time + $239M ongoing). Watch to see if the ongoing portion is confirmed and whether any one-time funds are preserved or cut.

📊

Prop 98 Guarantee Level

The constitutional Prop 98 minimum funding guarantee for K–14 education is recalculated in May. If state revenues are strong, the guarantee goes up. If revenues are weak, it may be suspended — which has happened before in severe downturns.

🎓

Special Education

Special Education funding is driven by enrollment and IEP caseloads. Look for any adjustments to AB 602 rates or changes to the base allocation formula that affects what districts receive per student.

💼

One-Time vs. Ongoing Funds

Watch the distinction between one-time funds (which cannot be used for ongoing salaries) and ongoing funds (which can). Members of the public should ensure any bargaining proposals are funded with ongoing money — not one-time dollars that will disappear next year.

📋

May Revision vs. January Proposal — Education Programs

📅

Data Not Yet Available

This table will be updated with a full comparison of May Revision vs. January Proposal funding levels for LCFF, EPA, Special Education, Transportation, and Prop 28 as soon as the Governor releases the May Revision.

Check Back: May 15, 2026

📌

January Baseline — For Reference

These are the education funding levels from the January 2026 proposal. Compare these to the May Revision numbers once released.

Program	January Proposal	May Revision	Change
LCFF — Cost of Living Adjustment 2.41% COLA applied to base & supplemental grants (~$73B total program)	2.41% ~$2.0B increase	Pending	—
Special Education (AB 602) State base allocation through SELPA; does not include federal IDEA funds	~$4.6B	Pending	—
Child Nutrition Programs State + federal school meals (National School Lunch, Breakfast, CACFP)	~$3.8B	Pending	—
Home-to-School Transportation $239M ongoing + $322M one-time fleet modernization	$561.2M	Pending	—
Child Care & Preschool State subsidized child care, CalWORKs Stage 1–3, and family child care homes	~$3.2B	Pending	—
Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) Full phase-in of UTK for all 4-year-olds; drives staffing and classroom expansion	~$2.1B	Pending	—
Prop 28 — Arts & Music Education Voter-approved; minimum 80% must be spent on certificated/classified staff salaries	~$941M	Pending	—
Necessary Small Schools Rural district LCFF add-on for schools too small to reach per-ADA funding floors	+$30.7M	Pending	—
Total Prop 98 Guarantee (TK–14)	$125.5B	Pending	—
Source: California Department of Finance (DOF), 2025–26 January Governor's Budget (January 10, 2026); Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), Education Analysis. Child Nutrition and Child Care figures are state + federal combined, approximate. May Revision figures pending release May 15, 2026. Data as of April 27, 2026.

✊

Mark Your Calendar: May 15, 2026

The May Revision is released by the Governor's Department of Finance. We'll update this page with a full breakdown of education funding changes — including what it means for districts across California — as soon as the numbers are public. Share this page with your chapter leaders and anyone at the table.

🔗

📅 May Revision 2026

Governor's Budget Revision