By Robert J. Hansen | OBSERVER Staff Writer
In anticipation of President Donald Trump’s defunding the U.S. Department of Education, students, parents, educators, and nonprofit leaders from Sacramento and across California rallied to protest March 4 at the Capitol.
The president is expected to issue an executive order by the end of the month that would eliminate programs such as after-school funding and gut staff in the U.S. Department of Education.
The protest was organized by California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance, which is the statewide voice for publicly funded after-school and summer programs and represents the interests of students and families who rely on these essential programs.
Tamiece Bennett, a senior at Creative Connections Arts Academy, works as an intern with the after-school program at the Creative Connections elementary school. She said if funding is cut, waitlists will become even longer and parents will be forced to seek out alternatives for their children.
“Parents would have their kids walk home, which can be dangerous for elementary school kids, or they would have to hire a babysitter,” Bennett told The OBSERVER.
After-school programs provide students not only a safe place to be, Bennett said, but a sense of community that builds leadership and communication skills, which help them beyond the classroom.
According to data from the Afterschool Alliance, around 47% of low-income children in California participate in after-school programs. That’s significantly higher than the national average of about 33%.
Such programs often serve low-income and working-class families who rely on them for child care, academic support, and meals.
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi joined students and educators and explained how federal dollars are vital in ensuring that high school students have access to after-school programs.
“If federal funds get eliminated for these types of programs … tens of thousands of high school students could lose these kinds of opportunities,” Muratsuchi said from the Capitol’s West Lawn. “We want to make sure that all kids, regardless of who they are and where they live, have the same opportunities for these programs.”
California K-12 schools received about $8 billion in federal funding in 2024-25, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, accounting for roughly 8%-10% of K-12 funding.
Rally-goers also called on Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature to support the 2025 budget proposal, which increases the state’s historic $5 billion annual investment in the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P).
Dr. Cheryl Hildreth, superintendent of Washington Unified School District in West Sacramento, said after-school programs are critical for supporting her students through academic support, mentorship and leadership opportunities.
“Having a safe place to be when the school day ends is really important and we need to be able to fund that,” Hildreth told The OBSERVER. “It’s what’s going to keep them engaged and on the path to success.”
Hildreth said all students benefit from after-school programs, but that her district’s African American students overwhelmingly rely on them.
“Being able to have those funding sources allows us to specifically support our Black students with cultural programs where they can see themselves in the classroom,” she said.
Hildreth said she is committed to advocating for the funding her students and their families deserve and need.