Central Valley educators demand Rep. David Valadao defend funding for schools

Central Valley educators want U.S. Rep. David Valadao to defend funding for local schools and urge the Republican congressman to oppose federal cuts to public education.

Hundreds of teachers from Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties rallied Saturday in a march organized by the California Teachers Association and walked more than a quarter-mile — chanting and carrying banners and signs — to Valadao’s district office in Hanford.

Federally funded programs that provide school meals to students, special education services, and ag and rural career preparation pathways, are at risk of federal budget cuts, educators said.

Educators carried brown paper lunch bags labeled with the names of services at risk to Valadao’s office.

Civil right activist and labor leader Dolores Huerta, a former educator, joined teachers in their march for schools.

“Central Valley students have been left behind in the fight for equitable education,” said Huerta. “We are constantly fighting for resources and support for our youth, including calling for transparency in service denials for students with disabilities.”

The 95-year-old Huerta said cuts to federal funding will harm not only schools but Valley communities, making it more challenging for students to achieve successful academic outcomes.

Tulare, King, Kern, Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Mariposa counties collectively stand to lose $1.1 billion in total education funding, including $513 million for school nutrition programs; $36 million for programs that prepare students for jobs in the agriculture industry; and $241 million in cuts to special education services, according to the California Teacher Association.

Here is a breakdown of the proposed federal funding cuts, according to the state teachers union.

▪ Fresno County: $341 million in total funding lost, including $140 million for meals for students in need and $67 million for special education services.

▪ Merced County: $107 million in total funding lost, including $44 million for meals for students in need and $25.7 million for special education services.

▪ Madera County: $51.4 million in total funding lost, including $24 million for meals for students in need and $14.7 million for special education services.

▪ Tulare County: $180 million in total funding lost, including $79 million for meals for students in need and $43.7 million for special education services.

▪ Kern County: $334 million in total funding lost, including $131 million for meals for students in need and $60 million for special education services.

▪ Kings County: $54.3 million in total funding lost, including $18 million for meals for students in need and $13 million for special education services.

“When we underfund public education, we fail every student,” said Nadira Arreola, a Dinuba Teachers Association member and mother of a former special needs student. “But the ones who suffer the most are always the ones who need the most, students with disabilities, students in poverty and students in rural districts.”

Matt Patton, executive director of the California Agricultural Teachers Association, said federal support through the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is the backbone of ag education in the region.

“It helps pay for classroom equipment, student certifications, and work-based learning opportunities,” Patton said.

Patton said when federal education funding is cut, rural schools feel it first.

“The cost is measured not in line items, but in lost opportunity, stalled careers, and young people who no longer see a future here in the Valley,” Patton said. “When we invest in agricultural education, we’re not just growing students, we’re growing the future of the Central Valley.”

Saturday’s event was one of five rallies organized by the California Teachers Association across the state including Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco.

This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Central Valley educators demand Rep. David Valadao defend funding for schools."

María G. Ortiz-Briones

The Fresno Bee

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María G. Ortiz-Briones is a reporter and photographer for McClatchy’s Vida en el Valle publication and the Fresno Bee. She covers issues that impact the Latino community in the Central Valley. She is a regular contributor to La Abeja, The Bee’s free weekly newsletter on Latino issues. | María G. Ortiz-Briones es reportera y fotógrafa de la publicación Vida en el Valle de McClatchy y el Fresno Bee. Ella cubre temas que impactan a la comunidad latina en el Valle Central. Es colaboradora habitual de La Abeja, el boletín semanal gratuito de The Bee sobre temas latinos. Support my work with a digital subscription