Newsom Brags About School Spending, The Report Card Says…

Gavin Newsom has another education announcement to celebrate. California parents have another report card to worry about.

The state’s newly released 2025–26 test results show just 49.3 percent of tested students reached proficiency or better in English language arts. In mathematics, only 38.4 percent reached that benchmark. Science proficiency stood at 36 percent.

More than half fell short of proficiency in English. More than six in ten fell short in math. Nearly two-thirds fell short in science.

Those numbers demand accountability from a governor who has spent years promoting his education agenda as a model for the country.

Newsom’s administration is touting $151.4 billion in total transitional kindergarten through 12th-grade funding under the 2026 Budget Act—the highest funding level in California’s history. That budget follows the school year covered by these results, but it underscores the standard Newsom sets for himself: historic investment should produce meaningful academic achievement.

Parents deserve to see that promise fulfilled.

Instead, Newsom is promoting modest academic gains while proficiency remains out of reach for most tested students. English improved by just half a percentage point. Math rose 1.1 percentage points. Science made the strongest gain, climbing 3.3 points, yet only slightly more than one-third reached proficiency.

Improvement matters. So does the distance children still have to travel.

For a student struggling with reading comprehension or fractions, a governor’s announcement offers little comfort. That child needs effective instruction, timely intervention and enough support to catch up before the next year’s lessons become even harder.

California families should not have to accept a system in which majority proficiency remains an unfinished project.

Newsom took office in 2019. He has had years to establish priorities, champion budgets and demand results. The pandemic disrupted learning, but the responsibility of leadership is to deliver recovery at a pace that serves children. Their education cannot operate on a politician’s timetable.

Every school year matters. Students who struggle today carry those gaps into tomorrow’s coursework. Families face the consequences through homework battles, tutoring bills and growing concern about whether their children are prepared for what comes next.

Taxpayers deserve accountability, too. Announcing a larger budget is easy. Demonstrating that public dollars consistently produce stronger reading, writing and mathematics skills is the harder obligation—and the one that matters most.

The response should begin with clear expectations: strong instruction in the fundamentals, early identification of struggling students, effective tutoring and transparent reporting that lets parents see whether interventions actually work.

Programs should earn continued support through results. School leaders should have to explain persistent underperformance. Parents should receive understandable information about their children’s progress while there is still time to act.

Newsom can point to incremental gains. He still owes California families an explanation for why proficiency remains beyond the reach of most tested students in all three subjects.

A governor eager to claim credit for historic spending must also answer for the outcomes delivered under his leadership.