Proposed budget cuts from the Trump administration threaten to slash more school funding. The budget includes major reductions for Title I school funding, which includes programs for low-income students.
"One in six children in California will immediately lose that federal funding for school meals," said David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association.
The proposed budget cuts could be particularly burdensome for rural schools, which already lost other federal funding last year.
"They'll have even … more intense cuts coming when you include the secure Rural Schools Act funding that has not been voted on by Congress," Goldberg said.
The Secure Rural Schools Act gave additional funding to school districts surrounded by a lot of federal land. That’s because federally owned land can't be developed or taxed like commercial land, leading to less revenue for schools in the area that rely on funding from property taxes.
“… [Title I is] another big one that we get a significant amount of money from. If it’s cut off, or if it’s no longer available, then it’s a big hit to our population.”- David Goldberg, California Teachers Association president
If approved, the newly proposed federal cuts will have a large impact on the North State, which encompasses some of the poorest counties in the state, and used to receive millions in Secure Rural School Act funds.
"Title I is more targeted toward low-income students and low-income families," said Rich DuVarney, Tehama County superintendent of schools. "That's another big one that we get a significant amount of money from. If it's cut off, or if it's no longer available, then it's a big hit to our population."
Additionally, some school districts could also be burdened by budget cuts at the state level. Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget proposal includes a slight decrease in school funds through Proposition 98, which provides the majority of funding for education across California.
Educators are ultimately left waiting to see what happens, as both the federal and state budgets remain in flux.
"There's just so much unknown," DuVarney said. "People hypothesize on what they think might be happening, but I don't think anyone really knows."
