Sacramento-area schools await California response to federal funding threats
Sacramento-area school districts said it’s too early to know which school programs might be affected by Trump administration threats to cut federal education funding as it seeks to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Officials at the Sacramento City Unified School District believe losing grants from the U.S. Department of Education could affect efforts to train teachers who reflect a diverse student population.
“We are awaiting further details on the potential loss of federal grants for teachers, but this could have a significant impact, especially for those federal grants supporting teacher training programs,” said Al Goldberg, a Sacramento City Unified spokesperson.
Sacramento-area school districts are waiting for state education officials to respond to a request from President Donald Trump’s Department of Education. Federal education officials asked California school districts to confirm all DEI programs at public schools have ended. If not, those schools risk losing federal funding, according to a letter sent to the California Department of Education last week.
Goldberg said Sacramento City Unified is a recipient of grants through the California Department of Education, such as the Effective Educator Block Grant. He said these grants have been “essential in supporting our mission to recruit, prepare, and retain high-quality educators who reflect the diversity of our student population.”
Sacramento County schools have budgeted for an estimated $266 million in federal funding this school year, or about 6.8%, of the districts’ combined budgets. Federal dollars fund initiatives across all sectors of the educational experience, including support for homeless students, English learning students and students with disabilities plus programs for early literacy and nutrition.
Federal funding accounted for about 6% of California K-12 school revenue in 2024-25, amounting to $8 billion, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Schools in rural areas and those with a high population of low-income families and students with disabilities typically receive more money from the feds.
Federal threats of cutting grant funding for local schools over DEI were outlined in a Feb. 14 memo from President Donald Trump’s administration.
In the February letter, acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor gave K-12 schools and colleges two weeks to outlaw any race-based policies and programming or face investigations and the possible loss of federal funding. California school districts and others throughout the country have not openly rushed to comply with the mandates in the February memo.
California letter to schools
The California Department of Education, also referred to as the CDE, sent a letter last week to all school districts throughout the state. State education officials said in the April 4 letter that federal education officials were asking the CDE sign and return a “requested certification” of compliance with its plan to end all DEI practices.
The April 3 letter from Trump’s Department of Education also stated the certification request was a “reminder of legal obligations undertaken in exchange for receiving federal financial assistance,” according to state education officials. Federal education officials said they were requesting certification under “Title VI and SFFA v. Harvard.”
The court case is a reference to the Trump administration’s broad interpretation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The court ruling struck down affirmative action in college admissions, to extend to all programming and activities that consider race — including scholarships, graduation ceremonies, and “all other aspects of student, academic and campus life.”
The CDE informed the local school districts that it plans to respond to federal education officials on behalf of California and all local educational agencies. The CDE assured local school officials that all California campuses that receive federal funds already provide assurances that programs and services are and will be in compliance with Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is monitored annually through multiple California accountability mechanisms.
State education officials said they will share a copy of their response to the federal government once its been submitted.
“Thank you for your hard work on behalf of all students in the state of California,” according to the April 4 letter signed by David Schapira, chief deputy superintendent of public instruction. “As we at CDE continue to focus on moving the needle for student achievement, we again commend all California school staff who are maintaining a local focus on the all-important task of serving our students.”
Federal education money is critical for both Sacramento-area K-12 school districts and colleges, especially in a year where funding for the University of California and California State University systems have been slashed and districts like Sacramento City Unified are forced to lay off employees due to budget deficits.
Raj Rai, a spokesperson for the San Juan Unified School District, said this week that “it’s a little too soon to determine which programs might be affected by the suspension of some of these federal grants.”
Angela Griffin, a spokesperson for Folsom Cordova Unified School, said district officials expect further clarification soon from the CDE on the state’s response to federal officials. Griffin also said the Folsom Cordova district follows state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination, along with its school board nondiscrimination and harassment policy.
The Natomas Unified School District and the Elk Grove Unified School District are also following CDE’s guidance on the matter.
This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
