Trump Hoards $118 Million from Public Schools
The Trump Administration is hoarding $118 million from California schools. This money has already been budgeted by schools and would severely impact the most vulnerable students. Congress, who holds the power of the purse in American politics, already approved the funding to schools. This is a massive overstep from the Trump Administration, who time and time again has provided corporations with billion dollar tax breaks at the expense of working class people and public school students. Programs such as teacher professional development, after school care, and English Learner programs are in danger. Summer programs scheduled in the following weeks are in danger of last minute cancellations. This means parents unable to work or having their children spend the summer unsupervised.
While California is a progressive state that has the resources to sue the Trump Administration, schools cannot rely on this game of tug-of-war every year to get public schools their funding. This is just the first year of four. We know that every year education funding is going to be on the chopping block, increasingly vulnerable every time budget season comes around. That’s why it's urgent we create more sustainable streams of funding at the state level through reforming legislation such as Prop. 13. The Trump Administration works to make constant breaks for corporations, let’s not allow our state to give them another one. Reform Prop. 13 and make corporations pay their fair share.
Photograph by Larry Valenzuela
By Tara García Mathewson, Carolyn Jones | CalMatters| Jul 2, 2025