Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
Panic has set in at school districts across the Golden State as the Trump administration continues to withhold federal funds.
Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction, said California school districts stand to lose close to $1 billion immediately.
Luis Valentino, retired superintendent of Coachella Valley Unified School District and host of the podcast “District Leader: Transforming Education,” said unless it is resolved quickly, schools will be forced to cut back or even eliminate programs.
Some summer programs and 2025-26 school year budgets are in jeopardy
“Without timely allocation tables from the United States Department of Education, states will be left uncertain, making it challenging to prepare for the 2025-26 school year,” Valentino explained. “School districts, especially those in high-poverty and rural areas, will be left scrambling.”
Last week the Department of Education notified schools across the country five grant programs are now “under review” to determine if they align with administration priorities. In a statement to Real Clear Politics, the Office of Management and Budget said, “Initial findings have shown that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical left-wing agenda.” The grants in question fund summer learning, teacher professional development, and after-school programs. They also fund English language classes and support for children of migrants.
The grants are usually distributed on July 1. Valentino warned that there will be far-reaching consequences if the congressionally approved funding is not restored.
“Migrant children, English language learners, and those in low-performing schools stand to lose vital support that helps them meet academic benchmarks,” Valentino pointed out. “This decision will only exacerbate existing educational inequities across each state.”
Programs already underway this summer are now in limbo. In a statement, the head of the Boys and Girls Clubs said without the promised funding, more than 900 sites nationwide serving 220,000 kids could be forced to shut their doors, taking almost 6,000 jobs with them.
