Millions in grants for Fresno, Clovis districts delayed as Trump freezes money
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Federal freeze delays $6.2B in K-12 grants, impacting Fresno and Clovis schools.
- Fresno Unified could lose $7.1M; Clovis Unified faces $2.2M shortfall in federal aid.
- Budget gaps threaten programs for English learners, migrants, and teacher training.
Fresno-area school districts risk losing millions in federal grants due to the Trump Administration’s last-minute decision to withhold a total of $6.2 billion that Congress allocated to the nation’s K-12 public schools.
Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified, the region’s two largest school districts with a combined enrollment of 113,000 students, expect to lose of $7.1 million and $2.2 million in federal funding, respectively.
The grants, typically made available to school districts on July 1, fund services provided to English learners and children of migrant workers, as well as support teacher training, after-school programs, and classroom technology.
The California Department of Education was notified of the funding freeze less than 24 hours before schools expected to receive the funds from the federal government.
In California, school districts are required to pass their budgets by June 30 for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Losing the federal funds could impact students’ summer learning programs and teacher professional development activities that school districts were preparing to roll out as soon as this month.
Schools across the state would see an $811 million federal funding shortfall, representing 16.5% of the total federal funding that K-12 schools receive, according to the Learning Policy Institute.
Fresno Unified, the state’s third-largest school district serving 70,000 students, faces a “devastating $7.1 million loss,” the district said in a statement.
The budget approved by the governing board for the 2025-26 school year shows the district has already made $49 million in cuts, including 59 full-time positions.
“At Fresno Unified, our commitment to every student remains unwavering,” Superintendent Misty Her said in a statement. “As your superintendent, I will do everything within my power to protect our students and shield them from the consequences of these harmful cuts. We will continue to advocate relentlessly for the funding our students deserve.”
One-fifth of Fresno Unified’s students are English learners, and more than 3,000 students were born outside of the country, district officials said.
Fresno Unified has seen more “newcomers” join the district, Carlos Castillo, the district’s interim chief academic officer, told The Fresno Bee in December. Fresno Unified has been adding weekly classes in high schools to help students accelerate their English language learning, he said.
Clovis Unified, which has more than 43,000 students, will lose an estimated $2.2 million as a result of the federal grant withholding, according to district officials.
The district expected to receive $38 million in revenue from the federal level, according to the adopted budget, which also planned a $14.4 deficit for the 2025-26 school year.
Kelly Avants, the district’s spokesperson, said Clovis Unified is closely monitoring further discussion at the state and federal levels.
“We are hopeful it won’t be necessary, but are prepared to pivot as needed to ensure the needs of our students served by these funding streams are met,” Avants said.
Visalia Unified in Tulare County expects a $2 million loss in federal grants, half of the district’s total allocation for the impacted programs, the district said in a statement.
Kirk Shrum, Visalia Unified’s superintendent, said programs and services would remain in place as the district maintains nearly 10% in reserves to absorb the shortfall.
“We understand the concern that these cuts may have on families and staff who would be directly impacted,” Shrum said in a statement. “I’m proud of our careful budgeting that is allowing us to maintain district provided programs in place for the upcoming school year.”
This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
