As President Trump proceeds with freezing spending appropriated by Congress to the Department of Education, K-12 schools around the nation are feeling the pressure. Schools may prioritize cutting services for students with disabilities, teacher preparation programs, and federally funded school buses. For PUSD, the impact could follow a similar pattern or take an entirely different course.
“We’re not anticipating any changes but things are changing very quickly with the new administration. We’re keeping our ear to the ground and working with the county and state to make sure that we’re up to date on the latest change so we can mitigate or lessen any potential impacts to our students,” said PUSD Director of Communication Patrick Gannon.
However, Trump’s lambastic rhetoric on public education and actions that officials warn could leave local schools with fewer teachers and larger class sizes are seen by some as a cause for concern.
An Uncertain Future
Despite reassurances, the long-term effects of these reductions remain murky as the district tries to balance budgets while maintaining essential services.
“The budget cuts wouldn’t affect us this year. It’s going into next year that they’re talking about having the secretaries have half a day and shortening the parent liaison’s hours. The big thing is… they’re trying to make cuts that do not affect the students,” said School Attendance Secretary Kelly Cantu.
Across the state, lawmakers stress the potential devastation to key programs that keep schools running. The district may salvage efforts to protect students directly, but reducing staff hours and funding for support services could undermine its ability to serve the most vulnerable students and families.
“Without our full funding, it does affect us because we work with the parents with LCAP funding. If funding and our hours get cut, that means that we won’t have as much time to work with the families that are lower income who can’t pay rent.,” said District Parent Liaison Tonya Bass.
Taking Action
The community and various Pleasanton organizations have stepped in to ensure that students can access everything they need to succeed. Met with exuberant support and aid, essential services quietly hit by cuts are still up and running.
“I know that the PTA is trying to help with offsetting impacts to things like peer tutoring. They have stepped up and taken charge of that and helped with funding so that it can keep our students there after school,” said Cantu.
As the district navigates these challenges, it remains focused on meeting students’ immediate needs, even if other resources become scarce or obsolete. The community continues to work toward providing a safe and supportive environment for those who need it most.
“We want to take the opportunity to reassure all students that they are safe and welcome in our schools and we will continue to assist them to the best of our ability. Nothing that has happened or has been announced at the national level will affect that,” said Gannon.
