Students rally against cutting law program as Sacramento considers budget gap
Hiram Johnson High School’s Law Academy student program transforms teenagers, according an assistant principal at the school.
The academy, created for low income, at-risk students, teaches students about law enforcement and the legal field through a collaboration with the Sacramento Police Department. The participants envision big goals and learn how to lead, said assistant principal Brianna Wells.
But the city of Sacramento proposed hobbling the Police Department’s Magnet Academy, under which the Law Academy operates in a number of the city’s high schools, after to help resolve a $66.2 million budget deficit. Six police officers could be laid off under the proposal, according to a budget “reduction strategies” document released last week.
“It’s just going to devastate the program — and the kids,” Wells said.
Dozens of students and their parents rallied Tuesday to support the program at the City Council’s afternoon meeting, during which the elected officials heard a presentation about potential budget scenarios. Many of the program’s graduates have gone to work at the Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and other California law agencies.
The city’s initial reductions are not final, and a police spokesperson has previously said the department does not plan to rely on layoffs. The City Council could increase parking fees, eliminate vacant positions and lay off employees in other departments while seeking to balance its finances ahead of adopting the budget in June. Each department will present recommendations, and the council will discuss their proposals throughout March.
Mayor Kevin McCarty said previously he hopes the city does not resort to layoffs. This is the third consecutive year the city grappled with a multimillion budget deficit. In past years, the council raised parking fees and slashed vacant positions instead of handing employees a pink slip.
“There’s different strategies that we are going to have to look at,” McCarty said.
In each high school where the program operates, an officer collaborates with an educator to develop and teach curriculum to students. That officer develops a relationship with students and provides essential knowledge for students going into any field, Wells said.
At Hiram Johnson, students took a field trip to Alcatraz to learn about prison history. The Law Academy’s lessons offer students a chance to see themselves with success and avoid a path filled with hardships, she said.
“There’s just so much at stake here,” Wells said.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 10:49 AM.
