California State Senator Steven Choi, Ph.D. (R-Irvine) released the following statement in response to the Governor’s 2026–27 proposed state budget, raising concerns over the approach to education funding and long-term stability for students, teachers, and families.
“As a lifelong educator, former Irvine Unified School Board of Education, and current Senate Education Committee member, I believe our children deserve more than one-time Band-Aids and delayed payments,” said Senator Choi. “Although the governor claims this budget is balanced, it fails to provide sustainable, predictable funding that our schools and colleges rely on, and forces our next Governor to fix Newsom’s mistakes.”
Senator Choi highlighted several key issues:
“K–12 funding in this proposal relies heavily on temporary block grants and accounting stunts like ‘settle-ups’, rather a stable support that ensures districts can plan for the long term. This approach puts local districts in a position of uncertainty while they deal with enrollment declines and rising operational costs.”
“Middle-income families face the very devastating impact of cuts to the Middle-Class Scholarship program. Cutting the scholarship’s reach in half undermines access to college for California families.”
“Students, teachers, and families deserve real investment in classrooms, workforce readiness, and affordability. The governor continues to present one-time fixes and future deferrals, not real solutions to address the state’s structural deficit.”
Senator Choi stressed that the state’s budget woes require long-term solutions, not short-term political wins.
“We must build a budget that protects students both now and in the future. We should be strengthening our education system with consistent funding and policies that support educators and students alike.”
Senator Choi serves on the Senate Education Committee and has a record of education policy, firsthand experience as a professor, school board member, and advocate for the University of California system.