The Department of Education (DepEd) anticipates 26 to 28 million students for School Year 2026–2027, commencing June 8, with Assistant Secretary Jocelyn Andaya confirming sufficient teaching and non-teaching personnel for this influx. While acknowledging ideal teacher-to-student ratios are not met everywhere, DepEd projects a student-to-teacher ratio of 35:1 in lower levels and 45:1 in higher levels, potentially reaching 50:1 to 55:1 in urban areas like the National Capital Region. The department faces a classroom backlog of 136,000, but plans to accelerate construction through public-private partnerships and local government collaborations, with the DPWH expected to complete over 9,000 classrooms this year. New textbooks are slated for delivery in July, with supplementary materials available in the interim.