The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has compiled and submitted the “First Supplementary Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2026” (hereinafter referred to as the “Supplementary Budget Proposal”), totaling 24.8927 trillion won, to the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly. This supplementary budget proposal was drafted to alleviate the budgetary burden on schools in line with the government’s emergency economic response measures and to help revitalize the local economy by improving the educational environment.
The supplementary budget proposal amounts to 1.9668 trillion won more than the 2026 regular budget of 22.9259 trillion won and includes a large number of essential projects that could not be included in the regular budget due to a lack of funds at the time. Based on this, the budget was formulated with a focus on: ▲ providing on-site support to schools in response to high oil prices and inflation; ▲ revitalizing local economies through improvements to the educational environment; and ▲ addressing other pressing educational issues.
The main points of the First Supplementary Budget Proposal for the 2026 Gyeonggi-do Education Special Account are as follows.
449.1 Billion Won Allocated to Support Schools in Coping with High Oil Prices and Inflation
A total of 449.1 billion won has been allocated to the “On-Site Support for Schools in Response to High Oil Prices and Inflation” program to alleviate the financial burden faced by schools due to the sharp rise in prices caused by high oil prices and to create a better educational environment for the future.
Specifically, this includes: ▲ 118 billion won for school operating expenses ▲ 6.3 billion won for school facility management support ▲ 3.8 billion won for commuting support ▲ 1.1 billion won for computer (PC) support for low-income families ▲ 41.9 billion won for support for vulnerable groups, including 13.7 billion won for students from multicultural and immigrant backgrounds, andmulticultural, and migrant-background students, totaling 13.7 billion won—for a total of 41.9 billion won in support for vulnerable groups ▲ 53.2 billion won for the operation of after-school programs and childcare classrooms ▲10.5 billion won for establishing smart science labs ▲9.7 billion won for replacing outdated computers (PCs), among other initiatives totaling 92.1 billion won for artificial intelligence (AI) and digital education ▲117.3 billion won for future education operations, among other items.
Through this initiative, the plan is to alleviate the burden of school utility costs—such as heating, cooling, and fuel expenses, which have risen due to inflation—as well as facility maintenance costs, thereby enhancing the stability of school operations.
1.3186 trillion won Allocated to Revitalize Regional Economies by Improving Educational Environments
A large-scale budget of 1.3186 trillion won was allocated to include essential projects that had been omitted due to a funding shortfall in the 2026 main budget, and to revitalize the local economy by improving the educational environment.
Specifically: ▲516.9 billion won for the construction and expansion of schools ▲ 252.2 billion won for improving educational conditions at schools, among other facility projects totaling 871.2 billion won ▲ 10 billion won for installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems in schools ▲ 100.3 billion won for school safety, including improvements to safety-vulnerable facilities ▲224.6 billion won for school meal subsidies ▲50.8 billion won for improvements to cafeteria ventilation systems ▲70.7 billion won for expanding school meal equipment and facilities, totaling 347.1 billion won allocated for improving the school meal environment. In particular, since projects involving the construction of new schools, school expansions, and improvements to educational facilities have a significant investment impact linked to the local construction industry, they are expected to greatly contribute not only to ensuring student safety but also to the recovery of the local economy.
In addition, the Provincial Office of Education allocated 199.1 billion won to address other pressing educational issues, including ▲ 25.6 billion won for ongoing projects at the District Offices of Education and ▲ 58 billion won to cover the increase in personnel costs for educational support staff. Conversely, the office made efforts to enhance fiscal efficiency and soundness by excluding populist projects and non-urgent expenses related to public relations and training from the supplementary budget.
Gal In-seok, Budget Director at the Provincial Office of Education, stated, “This supplementary budget proposal focuses on providing stable support to schools despite difficult economic conditions, such as high oil prices and inflation, and on driving the recovery of the local economy through the swift execution of the education budget,” adding “We will strive to create a better educational environment for students by allocating education funds to where they are most needed in a timely manner, and we will do our utmost to manage education finances so that schools can focus on educational activities without disruption,” he said. Meanwhile, this supplementary budget bill is scheduled to be finalized following deliberation and approval at the 391st regular session of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly.
