Senators grill Education Secretary Linda McMahon over proposed cuts
Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified to Congress over proposed budget cuts.
- Two Shasta County high schools re-examine after-school programs in wake of federal funding freeze
- The freeze affects roughly $339,000 allocated for high schools in Cottonwood and Anderson
Students at two Shasta County high schools may not have as many after-school opportunities when classes resume in August.
The federal government froze roughly $339,000 in annual grant money that would have supported West Valley and North Valley high schools’ after-school programs, according to the Shasta County Office of Education.
The high schools’ teen enrichment programs are partially funded through federal grants that are in limbo after the U.S. Department of Education missed the July deadline to allocate more than $800 million to California schools, approximately $6.2 billion nationwide.
That money — more than a tenth of the nation’s federal education funding — helped support after-school programs in under-served areas like Cottonwood and Anderson, according to nonprofit research organization the Learning Policy Institute.
Federal funding accounted for only 7.6% of SCOE’s total after-school and summer programs budget, but high school programs are the ones that benefit from that federal money, said Lyndsey Gilstrap, senior executive director of SCOE’s Internal Business Services Department. Her department oversees the education office’s accounting and financial operations.
Now school administrators need time to figure out what they can still offer teens in the way of after-school programs during the 2025-26 academic year. “This is a highly convoluted process, and we do not have a lot of details at this time,” Gilstrap said.
Some adjustments might be premature. More federal funding cuts could be on the way now that President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill passed on July 4. It’s just too soon to tell how or if that legislation will affect Shasta County schools, SCOE staff said.
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Which Shasta County after-school programs lost federal funding
After-school programs at West Valley High School in Cottonwood and North Valley High School in Anderson provide teens with academic tutoring, a snack and opportunities to make up lost course credits, according to SCOE’s program description. Students can also take free specialty classes in cooking and crafts, career training and fitness topics like weightlifting and speed/agility training.
While Anderson Union High School District participates in the same after-school program, it doesn’t receive federal funding, so it’s not affected by the freeze, SCOE staff said.
Why and how federal funding froze for Cottonwood’s, Anderson’s after-school programs
The federal government usually allocates education funding at the beginning of July, the official start of schools’ academic year. Trump signed legislation that approved that funding in March.
However, a Department of Education notice sent to congressional staff on June 30 said funding is under review.
Those frozen funds were destined for programs the Trump administration proposes to defund in 2026, according to nonprofit CalMatters.
On the federal chopping block are 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs. That’s the pot that funds SCOE’s After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSET) grants, Gilstrap said.
Will Shasta County elementary and middle school programs lose federal funding, too?
No, after-school programs for elementary and middle school students won’t be cut. Their funding comes from state and local revenue, Gilstrap said.
How Shasta County’s after-school and summer programs budget breaks down
Countywide, SCOE’s annual budget for all of its after-school and summer programs is about $4.4 million, according to Gilstrap:
- Federal funding pays for about 7.6% of that $4.4 million budget.
- State funds cover about a third (32.2%).
- Local revenue pays about 61%.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
