Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) held a press conference alongside Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon to address the devastating impacts of the Trump Administration’s sweeping federal education cuts on Sacramento-area schools.

The event followed a roundtable discussion with local education leaders, who shared firsthand how these proposed cuts would affect students, educators, and their school communities. 

“These reckless cuts threaten the future of our children,” said Representative Bera. “We’re talking about slashing support for our most vulnerable students – those with disabilities, English learners, and children from low-income families. President Trump’s executive order to eliminate the Department of Education is illegal. I’m committed to doing everything I can in Congress to stop these cuts, and work with community leaders to protect our public schools and stand up for students and families across Sacramento County.”

“Federal funding helps us support our all students, and especially our students with disabilities, our homeless students, and our early learning initiatives—so they can get the right start in their learning early on,” said Superintendent Gordon. “But when families are fearful and uncertain about potential budget reductions and immigration actions, efforts to improve learning take a backseat. This is about protecting our families, our people, and our communities—and ensuring that our schools can fulfill their mission to help our students learn the skills they will need to be good citizens and contributing members of our community. We will fight for our kids, and we will make sure they are protected—and that they build the skills necessary to succeed in college and careers. ”

Federal education funding plays a critical role in supporting Sacramento County’s public and charter schools, which serve more than 250,000 students, including:

• 62% who are socioeconomically disadvantaged

• 18.1% who are English learners

• 13.6% who are students with disabilities

• 3.7% who are experiencing homelessness

Key impacts of the proposed cuts include:

• More than $63 million in special education funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

• Over $403 million in Title funding and COVID-19 relief aid

• In CA-06 alone, an estimated $92 million in Title I funding—supporting schools with high numbers of low-income students—could be slashed, potentially resulting in the loss of 1,395 teachers

• Reductions to Title II, III and IV programs, which support teacher training, English learners, student wellness and educational technology

If you or your community are directly impacted by these proposed education cuts and would like to share your story, please visit here to report how these changes are affecting you.