Baja California Prepares for More Than 1 Million Students to Return to School Aug. 31

-Editorial 

More than 1 million students across Baja California are expected to return to classrooms Aug. 31 for the 2026-27 school year, as the state reports investments in school infrastructure, student assistance, teacher compensation and other preparations for the start of the academic year.

The state government said preparations are underway at more than 5,000 educational facilities across the state’s seven municipalities. About 84% of those schools are operated by the public sector, according to Education Secretary Irma Martínez Manríquez.

Preparations include the distribution of textbooks and school supplies, expanded food assistance, scholarships, school rehabilitation projects and measures aimed at addressing financial obligations to education workers.

Public elementary schools will have universal coverage of school breakfast programs during the new school year, according to the state government. State scholarship programs also will continue alongside the federal Rita Cetina and Benito Juárez scholarship programs.

Gov. Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda said the programs are intended to reduce financial pressures on families and support students as they return to school.

The state government reported 91 billion pesos have been allocated to basic education. The funding has been used for payroll, food programs, school infrastructure and other education-related expenses.

As part of the infrastructure program, eight new schools have been established with a combined investment of 263 million pesos, according to the state government.

The state also plans to rehabilitate 478 schools. The program includes work at all schools in the municipalities of San Quintín and San Felipe.

In addition to infrastructure improvements, the state is preparing student assistance programs ahead of the new school year. The government plans to distribute 50,000 backpacks, 45,000 uniforms and more than 7,000 pairs of eyeglasses.

A Comprehensive School Protection Program also will be implemented to help identify and prevent situations potentially posing risks to students and school communities.

State leaders also highlighted payments and other financial measures involving teachers and other education workers.

The government reported 2,662 pensions have been granted to education workers, with a target of reaching 3,320 pensions by the end of the current administration.

The state also said it has completed retroactive payments associated with the 2026 salary increase for teachers.

Hacienda Secretary Andrés Pulido Saavedra said the education budget includes several large expenditures related to employee compensation and outstanding financial obligations.

Pulido Saavedra said 1.079 billion pesos has been allocated to cover 107 extraordinary payrolls, while another 2 billion pesos has been designated for severance payments.

More than 22.8 billion pesos has been allocated for pensions through the Institute of Security and Social Services for Government Workers and Municipalities of Baja California, known as ISSSTECALI.

The state also reported 3.79 billion pesos in accumulated salary increases as part of the education budget.

Some funding will be used to settle institutional insurance and retirement fund obligations inherited from previous administrations for federally employed teachers, according to the state government.

The government said the measures are intended to address current education expenses and financial obligations accumulated over time.

Infrastructure remains another component of preparations for the new academic year.

The state government said its rehabilitation program will cover 478 schools, with particular attention to San Quintín and San Felipe. All schools in both municipalities are included in the planned improvements, according to the government.

The eight newly opened schools represent an additional 263 million pesos in infrastructure investment.

The projects are part of a broader effort to improve the physical conditions of schools before students return to classrooms, according to the state government.

The state did not provide a detailed breakdown in its announcement of the 478 rehabilitation projects, including individual schools involved or specific improvements planned at each location.

The state government said assistance programs will be coordinated with federal scholarship initiatives to provide financial support to students and families.

State programs will operate alongside the federal Rita Cetina and Benito Juárez scholarships, which provide financial assistance to eligible students at different levels of education.

School breakfast programs also will be available universally in public elementary schools, according to the state government.

The government said the combination of scholarships, school meals, school supplies and infrastructure improvements is intended to reduce some of the costs associated with sending children back to school.

The planned distribution of 50,000 backpacks, 45,000 uniforms and more than 7,000 pairs of eyeglasses will provide additional assistance to students.