schools
California school libraries blindsided by ‘catastrophic’ budget cut
By Carolyn Jones | CalMatters at LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio)
· June 30, 2026
· 4 min read
Students in a sixth-grade class read at Stege Elementary School in Richmond, on Feb. 6, 2023.(Shelby Knowles / CalMatters)California librarians were stunned when a last-minute budget change stripped K-12 schools of a trove of research materials, potentially leaving thousands of students without r...
Key takeaway “We had no idea this was coming,” said Greg Lucas, head of the California State Library, which helps oversee the program for California’s 10,000 public schools.
Why this matters
Education coverage influences how families evaluate their districts, how voters approach bond elections, and how teachers and administrators set priorities. The Los Angeles follows local school news because it affects every household with children — and the broader workforce pipeline.
About this story
Original reporting by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) . The Los Angeles surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: schools ·
Published: June 30, 2026 ·
Source: LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) ·
Reading time: 4 min
Get more The Los Angeles stories like this
Free weekly briefing covering schools and other local news. Curated by our editorial team. No spam.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy . Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Students in a sixth-grade class read at Stege Elementary School in Richmond, on Feb. 6, 2023.(Shelby Knowles / CalMatters)California librarians were stunned when a last-minute budget change stripped K-12 schools of a trove of research materials, potentially leaving thousands of students without r...
When was this published? This article was first published on June 30, 2026 by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) and curated for The Los Angeles readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Carolyn Jones | CalMatters at LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio). To learn more about how The Los Angeles selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more schools coverage from The Los Angeles, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
← Back to all news
More schools →
Today’s briefing
Subscribe to newsletter