California’s formula for allocating career technical education funds leaves millions unspent
Lasherica Thornton
June 24, 2026
California has invested heavily in career technical education, earmarking $300 million annually since 2021 to help schools prepare students for jobs in fields such as healthcare, public safety and engineering.
Yet, over the past five years, more than $115 million of that funding — an average of $23 million per year — never reached schools.
District leaders, advocates and legislators say the shortfall stems from the state’s allocation formula that does not fully distribute the career technical education, or CTE, funds.
Lawmakers are advancing Assembly Bill 1590 to ensure all available CTE funding makes it to districts going forward. Some relief may come even sooner; districts that applied for funding for the 2026-27 school year will see all of the money distributed.
