K-12 Education

The next superintendent will need to respond to President Donald Trump’s funding cuts and policy shifts, including the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and increased immigration enforcement.

After withholding roughly $900 million from California’s K-12 and adult schools, the U.S. Education Department said today that it will release the money starting next week. But schools must agree to certain conditions first.

Migrant Education programs serve students whose parents work in California’s agricultural fields, dairies, fisheries and timberlands.

Trump withheld about $7 billion in education funds for various school programs nationwide, including about $800 million for California.

Trump cut AmeriCorps, laying off over 5,600 of California’s public service workers. Because of a lawsuit, the state’s program can restart, at least temporarily, but schools and disaster relief sites are still reeling from staffing shortages.

A California law took effect in 2020 that dropped the statute of limitations for filing lawsuits, provided a three-year window for victims to file claims and otherwise made it easier for them to sue school districts and counties.

In the latest state enrollment data released, California had 230,443 homeless students — a 9.3% increase from the previous year.

California districts have not received Congressionally appropriated money for after school programs, academic enrichment, English-learner services, teacher professional development and migrant education.

The Legislature is considering phasing out chemical additives in school meals linked to health problems. Opponents say the definitions are so broad that it could ban items like tomato sauce and olive oil.

Five years after COVID shut down most California high schools, today's college students describe a difficult transition to adulthood, marked by fear, loss and a lack of preparation.