What’s going on with K12 and higher education in California in 2025?
Several issues in education will continue to gain attention in 2025, including: the state budget, permanent 8% cuts in state support to the University of California and California State University totalling nearly $800 million and declining K-12 enrollment. Spending priorities will include school facilities, especially after voters approved a $10 billion bond in November for K-12 schools and community colleges to renovate, fix or construct facilities. In January, Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined his priorities for the state’s 2025 education agenda, which include the full rollout of transitional kindergarten, expanded after-school and summer programs and beefed-up mental health services for students. California legislators are also responding to President Donald Trump’s changes to immigration, diversity and LGBTQ policies.
CalMatters education team:
- Editor: Denise Zapata, [email protected]
- K12 education reporter: Carolyn Jones, [email protected]
- Higher Education: Mikhail Zinshteyn, [email protected]
- Education Reporter: Tara Garcia Mathewson, [email protected]
- Community College Reporter: Adam Echelman, [email protected]
- College Journalism Network Editor: Jennifer Burger, [email protected]
- College Journalism Network Asst. Editor: Matthew Reagan, [email protected]
Quick Facts
- Enrollment: There are nearly 6 million students in California’s 10,000 K12 public schools.
- Demographic: Nearly 20% of K12 students are English learners; more than 60% are from low income families.
- Community College: More than 2.1 million students attend the largest system of higher education in the US.
- Financial aid: California plans to spend more than $3 billion on financial aid to undergraduates in 2025, nearly $1 billion more than it spent in 2017.
K12 and Higher Education Bills
In Focus
Here are all of the bills considered in the current session involving K12 and higher education. Highlighted bills are identified by CalMatters as among the most significant this year.
SB 98 Passed
This bill would require schools and colleges to notify students, parents, and staff if immigration enforcement comes to campus.
AB 1121 Failed
This bill would require K-12 schools to use a phonics-based approach to literacy.
AB 90 In Progress
This bill would allow homeless college students to park overnight in campus lots. It’s the third time since 2019 that this issue has come before the Legislature.
AB 335 Failed
This bill would create a $75 million competitive grant program for Cal State and community college campuses to provide academic support to underserved Black students. The money would also go to other underserved students.
AB 84
School accountability: Office of the Education Inspector General: school financial and performance audits: charter school authorization, oversight, funding, operations, networks, and contracting: data systems: local educational agency contractor background checks and contracting.
In Progress Committee: Assembly Standing Committee on Education
School accountability: Office of the Education Inspector General: school financial and performance audits: charter school authorization, oversight, funding, operations, networks, and contracting: data systems: local educational agency contractor background checks and contracting.Committee: Assembly Standing Committee on Education
SB 414
School accountability: Office of the Education Inspector General: school financial and performance audits: charter school authorization, oversight, funding, operations, and networks: flex-based instruction: local educational agency contracting.
In Progress Committee: Senate Standing Committee on Education
AB 7
Postsecondary education: admissions preference: descendants of slavery.
In Progress Committee: Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education
Postsecondary education: admissions preference: descendants of slavery.Committee: Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education
AB 1111
Pupil transportation: schoolbuses: zero-emission vehicles: scrapping.
In Progress Committee: Assembly Standing Committee on Education
Pupil transportation: schoolbuses: zero-emission vehicles: scrapping.Committee: Assembly Standing Committee on Education
SB 790
Postsecondary education: interstate reciprocity agreements for distance education: out-of-state postsecondary educational institutions.
In Progress Committee: Senate Standing Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development
Postsecondary education: interstate reciprocity agreements for distance education: out-of-state postsecondary educational institutions.Committee: Senate Standing Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development
SB 550
California State University, San Jose: legal partnership pilot program.
In Progress Committee: Senate Standing Committee on Education
California State University, San Jose: legal partnership pilot program.Committee: Senate Standing Committee on Education
Key Players
Legislative Leaders
These are the leaders in the Legislature for education issues as identified by CalMatters.
Mike Fong
District 49, Alhambra
Sasha Renée Pérez
District 25, Pasadena
Jesse Gabriel
District 46, Encino
Al Muratsuchi
District 66, Torrance
Blanca Rubio
District 48, West Covina
John Laird
District 17, Santa Cruz
David Alvarez
District 80, Chula Vista
Non-Legislator leaders
Other than legislators, these are the people or organizations that have been most active on education issues as determined by the number of times they have testified in related hearings or taken positions on bills.
