In Santa Barbara Unified, $11,754,628 in Federally Funded Programs Are at Risk

In Santa Barbara Unified, $11,754,628
in Federally Funded Programs
Are at Risk

County’s Largest School District Relies on Funds for
Special Ed Teachers, Paraeducators, Childcare Programs,
School Lunches, and Support Services for Low-Income Students

By Callie Fausey | May 1, 2025

Read more from our Reign of Administrative (T)error cover story.

School districts are on thin ice. K-12 districts rely on federal funds to take care of their students, particularly those who need extra support. With the Trump Administration attempting to withhold federal funding from schools that don’t scrap their diversity programs, alongside threats to completely dismantle the Department of Education (DOE), district officials are holding their breath in preparation for the ice breaking. 

The Trump Administration has declared war on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, claiming that DEI practices are a discriminatory sect of “wokeism.” To crack down on DEI, Trump put out an order telling school districts to eliminate diversity programs or lose federal funding.

However, California’s K-12 schools could breathe a small sigh of relief after New Hampshire’s Judge Landya McCafferty blocked that order this week. California General Attorney Rob Bonta is preparing to go to court over Trump’s K-12 funding threats, too, his office announced Friday.

“The most generous view of the current administration’s actions is that it is incompetence disguised as an attempt to reform, but the real impact is a chaotic disinvestment in public education that harms students, teachers, and families,” said Gabe Escobedo, president of the Santa Barbara Unified school board, in a statement.

“The administration’s short-sighted policy decisions and trade tariffs are creating real challenges for public schools,” he continued. “This, compounded by uncertain federal funding, makes long-term planning nearly impossible for districts, including ours, that are already stretched thin.”

In Santa Barbara Unified, the county’s largest school district, $11,754,628 in federally funded programs are at risk. It’s like a case study of how school programs could evaporate under the current administration. Much of that money goes toward special education, to guarantee that disabled students — who make up 14 percent of the student population — receive individualized instruction at no cost to their parents. The money pays for special ed teachers and paraeducators — areas that are already understaffed and overwhelmed in the district. 

While the Trump Administration said they don’t intend to cut special education funding, Title I and other programs are potentially on the chopping block.

Santa Barbara Unified is a Title I district, meaning every single one of its schools have a large percentage of low-income students — across the district, 61.2 percent of students are low-income. Title I funding pays for these students to have additional support services, such as tutoring and after-school programs.

“We’re rich with so many things and people, but we also have a lot of families that are below that mark,” said Kimberly Hernandez, assistant superintendent of business services. While district officials are hesitant to label any school programs as “DEI,” Hernandez made an entire spreadsheet of federally funded programs that could be slashed if Trump succeeds in his attacks on education. 

Also at risk, the spreadsheet forewarns, are childcare programs and school lunches. Many students rely on their schools for healthy meals. With the Trump administration’s potential cutting of SNAP benefits and free school meals, these kids will have even fewer options for food. Social safety nets like these are what take care of kids so that they can actually show up to school and focus in the first place. Without them, education suffers.

However, the state does pitch in for many of these programs, Hernandez said. Schools in California won’t be hung out to dry as much as those in other states. For right now, she said, they are just “very much aware” of the potential consequences should the DOE be dismantled and federal funds be withheld. 

“This is how it is for all the districts across the state — actually, across the nation,” she said. “But advocates for the school districts are really encouraging legislators to work hard on this.”

At this point, the district is not changing its budgeting process nor assuming the money will disappear, because the money may just move to different departments if the DOE evaporates. 

“But it is something to really think about and be concerned about,” Hernandez said. “It’s especially difficult where we are right now, knowing that we have budget cuts we’re working on. If this money didn’t show up, we would have to turn around and figure out how to cut another $11 million out of the general fund.”