Top Takeaways
- Federal cuts and immigration actions impact students’ health and well-being.
- California faces budget challenges despite increased state funding for schools.
- The projected $20,427 per-student state funding does not go far enough for low-income students.
Amid ongoing and impending shake-ups in federal and state educational leadership, 2026 is a big year for California schools.
During an EdSource roundtable on Thursday, educational leaders and policy experts discussed how President Donald Trump’s administration is putting pressure on California schools and students, creating challenges for students, educators, administrators and leaders.
“The bigger social and political moment that we’re in is really impacting our schools,” said Edgar Zazueta, executive director of the Association of California School Administrators. “We often like to say that sometimes the policy debate — the policy issues — play themselves out in our schools even before they begin, before their big policy debates on the grander scale. And that’s definitely happening here.”
California’s role today
Elena Silva, the president and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute, said the continual dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education undermines protections for schools and students.
“The issue here is not just the federal, but how it reaches the states,” Silva said. “It’s going to increase inefficiencies, and it’s going to increase costs for states and districts, while at the same time, it’s worsening the inequities that we’re all very aware of.”
Schools and students have also been widely impacted by ongoing immigration actions, making it critical for the state and schools to prioritize students’ health and well-being, according to Silva.
Yolie Flores, the president and CEO of Families in Schools, noted that the first ICE raid in the Central Valley resulted in a significant loss in instruction for children who did not attend school.
She warned that it is likely to get worse.
Marshall Tuck, the CEO of EdVoice, said he’s concerned about the potential impact of federal cuts on Medi-Cal, noting that “if children aren’t healthy in school, it’s pretty hard to learn algebra.”
“It is essential that we make up for those cuts, particularly for families with youth in public schools, so they can learn,” Tuck said. “And also in terms of these horrific raids, it’s about actually not just talking. Where is the action?”
As the current administration is “dismantling public education,” Flores said, California faces a unique opportunity.
“We can’t defend what we’ve had. What we have had has not worked for low-income kids and kids of color,” Flores said. “And so this is an opportunity for communities, for coalitions, to rethink public education in California, redesign it so that it truly meets the promise of a good education for all children.”
Panelists, including Tuck, emphasized that literacy and support for English learners should remain top priorities, calling them the “gateway to all other knowledge.”
They said this California legislative session should prioritize early math education, equitable school funding, investments in early education, and ensuring the state’s highest-needs schools are staffed with qualified teachers.
Dollars and cents
As the state grapples with federal actions, Gov. Gavin Newsom is projecting $20,427 per student in state funds next year — an increase of 76% since 2018-19.
Meanwhile, many districts are facing budget deficits and potential layoffs due to declining enrollment and rising costs. Zazueta said that because California public schools have a higher percentage of low-income students than in the past, $20,427 per student doesn’t go far.
“When you put all the money together and average it out per student, that’s what you’re getting,” Zazueta said. “But, as we know, there’s a huge disparity here in terms of what is actually the money that is going to an individual district on a number of factors.”
Zazueta added that, with money tight, there could be more friction between districts and labor unions. Teachers in several districts have indicated that many are ready to strike.
Panelists affirmed the need for teachers to be properly compensated, but Flores also questioned the impact on students “if there is a strike in a moment in time where kids do not feel safe anywhere else, but potentially their school.” Tuck also noted that many of today’s students have already lost a significant amount of instruction due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We need more dollars in this state,” Tuck said. “And we have to recognize that you have a student population that has distinct and deep needs given not at all based on ability — but totally based on economic status and other challenges that requires more resources.”