California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday pledged to provide naloxone — the overdose reversal drug — to every middle and high school, a low-cost but pressing need in a proposed education spending plan that would sustain school budgets but largely end a massive recent expansion of K-12 and college funding.
The overall budget proposal for K-12 school systems was one of general stability in ongoing funds — although local officials are worried about the wind-down of one-time COVID-relief dollars, the effect of inflation and declining revenues from a weakened economy.
The state four-year college systems have concerns of their own, despite a proposed 5% increase in ongoing base funding. Because last year’s budget was boosted by one-time dollars, the cumulative effect would be a net decrease — and colleges also have been hurt by inflation. In addition, the University of California must pay for significant compensation increases for graduate teaching and research assistants — agreed to after a five-week strike.
