By admin 
The Sacramento Bee hosted a back-to-school supply drive and Q&A session on Tuesday to answer questions about the upcoming school year and educational challenges facing the Sacramento region.
Read more Advocates push for changes to developmental disability proposals in Legislature
The event featured education reporters Tarini Mehta, who covers higher education, and Chaewon Chung, who covers K-12 education. The Bee partnered with Volunteers of America’s Operation Backpack initiative to donate school supplies to low-income families.
AI in Education
As artificial intelligence becomes more common in classrooms, both higher education institutions and K-12 schools are working to decide how it should be used.
“Sacramento State University is investing a lot of money into becoming a massive AI empowered campus,” Mehta said. “So they’re putting a lot of money into artificial intelligence and a $39 million deal with OpenAI to provide ChatGPT to all their people.”
Mehta said higher education institutions are trying to integrate AI into their systems while also developing policies that define appropriate and ethical use.
“Most schools are trying not to be left behind by the AI train,” Mehta said.
At the K-12 level, Chung said AI policies vary by district and school. Many schools are focused on establishing clear guidelines for AI use while also limiting cellphone use during class to reduce distractions and cheating.
Read more Summer doldrums? Xavier Becerra keeps low profile after bitter primary
Enrollment and Budget Challenges
The number of students enrolled in the Sacramento City Unified School District has dropped from 41,000 to 36,000 in the past decade. Declining enrollment remains one of the biggest financial challenges facing K-12 districts.
“I think it’s going to become a growing issue moving forward,” Chung said. “Both the state and local authorities would have to figure out a way to combat the issue.”
Mehta said enrollment at Sacramento State has steadily increased in recent years, but last year President Luke Wood announced that beginning fall 2026, incoming students will now face a two-year, live-in residence requirement.
Mehta said this requirement could increase costs for students and may influence whether prospective students choose to attend Sacramento State.
With a new California governor set to take office, both reporters said uncertainty remains, but the budget could be the more persistent problem.
Read more Advocates push for changes to developmental disability proposals in Legislature
This story was originally published August 5, 2026 at 3:28 PM.