California schools in hell as Gavin Newsom drops ‘catastrophic’ cuts for classes already on life support
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California schools in hell as Gavin Newsom drops ‘catastrophic’ cuts for classes already on life support
By Ben Chapman Published June 30, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The California Post on GoogleCalifornia kids will suffer after a last-minute state budget cut stripped key research resources from public-school libraries, leaving millions of students without the materials they need for class projects and homework.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers erased $5.5 million from the just-approved state budget for a school program called Compass, which is a popular online database of research and curriculum material that’s been vetted by teachers and librarians.
The Compass program pays the online fees for thousands of online materials used by students and teachers including the Encyclopedia Britannica, National Geographic, PBS videos such as Ken Burns documentaries, scientific journals, and more.
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The cut goes into effect on July 1, 2027 and was made without any warning.
“We had no idea this was coming,” said Greg Lucas, head of the California State Library, which helps oversee the Compass program for the state’s 10,000 public schools, told CalMatters.
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“This will have a huge impact on California students,” Lucas said.
Since Compass launched in 2018, it’s received nearly 1 billion hits, the nonprofit news outlet reports. The vast majority of Compass users are at K-12 schools, although the program is also available through public libraries.
Compass is available free to all schools in California. Schools would spend more than $216 million annually if they were to subscribe individually to all the materials available on the program, according to a State Library report.
“A student half a century ago might browse an encyclopedia volume or nonfiction book to learn something new,” the State Library report says. “Today they can log onto an ad-free Compass resource to do something similar.”
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And, with the vetted Compass program, “parents can rest assured that the student is guided by a desire to learn and not by a mysterious algorithm intended to sell advertising or track users.”
Educators said the cut deprives today’s digital learners from accessing materials that can be used for classroom assignments, as well as recreation.
“Losing Compass is catastrophic for the state of California,” Kate MacMillan, library services coordinator for Napa Valley Unified told CalMatters. “This service is a lifeline. I can’t believe the legislature would let this happen.”
Earlier versions of the $351.7-billion state budget debated by the state lawmakers contained funding for Compass.
But the final version of the newly approved budget eliminates money for the program after July 1, 2027.
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Instead, it puts $5 million toward the state’s new dyslexia screener and provides $60,000 for a web-based lesson-sharing platform called California Educators Together.
The final version of the budget also delays $3.9 billion in constitutionally guaranteed Proposition 98 funding for K-12 schools and community colleges, although it does leave many classroom programs intact.
California Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said the decision to cut Compass wasn’t part of Newsom’s latest budget proposal, even if he did approve it.
“Now, to be clear: the Governor did indeed sign the budget late yesterday that contained this provision,” said Palmer. “But to suggest that this was an original proposal from the Governor would be incorrect and inaccurate.”
As part of California’s newly approved $351.7 billion state budget, Newsom and state lawmakers also allocated $40 million to help counties process ballots more quickly before the November general election.
The package includes $29 million for counties to hire additional election workers and upgrade ballot-processing equipment, but critics say it addresses the symptoms rather than the underlying cause.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
