A plan proposed for the new Trump administration to scuttle the U.S. Department of Education could mean the loss of tens of millions in federal subsidies to Marin schools.
The Marin County Office of Education allocates about $42 million annually in federal funds toward a variety of initiatives and mandated programs at 17 public K-12 school districts, said Breean Brown, an assistant superintendent.
“The bulk of the funds are targeted for special education, child nutrition and the ‘Titles,’” Brown said in an email, referring to federally mandated programs. “Title I funds are designated to help close the achievement gap.”
That money is distributed according to the number of students who are eligible for free and reduced lunches. Eligibility includes low-income status, or whether students are in foster care or homeless, Brown said.
“Other title funding may be designated to add supports for English learner and immigrant populations — Title III — or professional development for teaching staff — Title IV,” Brown said.
At Dominican University of California in San Rafael, more than $2 million in Pell grants, for example, are especially under threat, said Nicola Pitchford, the college president. Pell grants are direct aid for low-income students.
“About 30 percent of Dominican’s undergraduate students qualify for Pell grants,” Pitchford said in an email. “In 2023-2024, Dominican received $2,028,022 in Pell grant funding to pass on to our students, so we are keenly concerned that federal funding, which already has not kept pace with costs and is not equally available to all would-be students or all institutions, could erode further.”
At the College of Marin, the president, Jonathan Eldridge, said he was not sure yet if the college would lose federal funding if Trump dissolves the Department of Education. The college receives about $9 million annually in Pell grants for about 2,300 students, but that is only one form of federal financial aid it gets, he said.
“I think it’s premature to speculate on what impact the elimination of the department would have, since it is not clear whether the funds they allocate would be lost entirely or distributed in an alternative manner,” Eldridge said.
As to threats against immigrant students, Eldridge said he plans to meet with “leadership responsible for student support programs and services to ensure college policies and resources are aligned to best meet our students’ needs — regardless of rhetoric or forthcoming policy at the national level.”
“College of Marin is — and will continue to be — an environment where everyone in our communities may thrive in safety, and we are here to support our students in any and all ways possible,” Eldridge said.
U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat who represents Marin, said any impacts on education would likely come a little later in the new administration, possibly after the first stated priority of mass deportation of illegal immigrants.
During the elections, Huffman chaired a task force about Project 2025, a document that laid out plans for a second Trump term. Project 2025 includes a proposal to dismantle the federal education department.
“It will be an early test — not of whether Trump will try to do it (he will), but whether such an extreme and destructive action can be stopped by some combination of Congress, the courts and public opinion,” Huffman, a San Rafael resident, said in an email.
“My guess is that this won’t be a first 100 days item for Trump,” Huffman said. “He’s going to focus on mass deportation for two reasons: he thinks it’s popular, and he thinks it can better withstand legal challenges because he will attempt to do it under emergency authorities.”
“I expect eliminating DOE to follow pretty soon after that so we need to stay vigilant,” he said.
Jack Wilkinson, chair of the Marin County Republican Central Committee, said he supports the potential plan by the Trump administration to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.
“It should be abolished,” he said. “Education should be a states’ rights issue, not a national criteria. The federal government should not be involved in education — they’re usurping the states.”
He said that although Marin schools “are pretty good,” the quality of education has declined in other parts of California.
“California used to be the leader in education in the 1960s,” he said. “It has gone downhill since then.”
John Carroll, Marin superintendent of schools, had a different point of view.
“There is clear evidence that Donald Trump is not a friend of public education and may try again to disparage the public school system over the next four years,” Carroll said.
He cited the choice of Betsy DeVos for education secretary in the first Trump term. Carroll, calling DeVos “a billionaire heiress with no experience in the field of education,” said her legacy was “expanding protection for college students accused of sexual assault, making it harder for people who were ripped off by for-profit colleges to have their cases considered, arguing to de-fund her own department, supporting efforts to allow school staff to carry guns and failing in an energetic effort to expand the privatization of schools in the United States.”
“One thing is clear: Trump wants to weaken trust in public institutions so that he can consolidate as much power as possible,” Carroll said. “The public school system, though largely removed from his immediate control, should not consider itself immune from that effort.”
Marin educators across the board said they will take steps to prepare and protect students from immigrant families and their loved ones in the event that the mass deportation plans reach schools.
“Our primary goal is to foster an inclusive environment where students feel safe expressing their opinions and hearing those of others,” Carmen Ghysels, the San Rafael City Schools superintendent, said in a letter to teachers and staff.
“All students have the right to belong,” she said. “It is essential that our SRCS educators remain neutral as facilitators, and remind everyone of the importance of remaining civil and respectful of others’ perspectives and beliefs.”
Kimberly McGrath, superintendent of the Reed Union School District, said the district will “remain committed to providing a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment for all students — even as federal and state political agendas shift.”
Brett Geithman, superintendent of the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District, reminded the district community in a recent letter that “schools do not share student records or personal information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without parental consent.”
“Should ICE agents come to a school campus, we notify Central Marin Police Authority to assist in protecting student safety and ensure minimal disruption,” he added. “Our schools are places of learning, safety and inclusivity for every child.”
Elana Ross, deputy communications manager for Gov. Gavin Newsom, said the state is committed to “ensure all kids can access a quality education, be safe and secure on campus, get healthy meals and mental health care, have the freedom to read books and learn history — and that their parents have the right to actively participate in their child’s learning.”
Aside from potential losses in federal funding, Marin educators are also concerned about other potential restrictions from the new administration.
“Trump may also cause chaos by taking action that would distract us from our work,” Carroll said. The potential upheaval includes promises of mass deportation, the removal of books from classrooms and libraries and rolling back other protections such as Title IX, a law that mandates equal treatment in girls’ and women’s sports programs.
Carroll said the Marin County Office of Education will be “helping develop protocols and offering legal guidance for schools so that they can be prepared to respond to potential actions by federal agencies.”
He added that the county office staff “working with a variety of partners to strengthen the already-strong safety net we built during the last Trump administration and through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Pitchford said Dominican University, as a federally designated minority serving institution, “will double down on our efforts toward equity and inclusion, and this might well require additional investment and creativity.”
“Immigrants have often been the targets of the president-elect’s campaign comments,” said Pitchford, herself an immigrant who came to the U.S. legally with her family. “Dominican is honored to educate students who are immigrants and children of immigrants.”
While undocumented students are not eligible for federal student aid, they are eligible for other types of student financial support, including institutional aid from Dominican such as merit-based scholarships and need-based scholarships, Pitchford said.
Each year, Dominican distributes more than $30 million in institutional aid to 99% of its undergraduates, she said.
“We do not ask about the immigration status of our students, and this is a practice we remain committed to upholding,” she said.
As it did after the 2016 elections, Dominican will launch a website with information about fundamental rights and briefings from the school’s legal counsel about the specifics of any potential change in law or policy, Pitchford said.
“We will remain committed to serving our communities and preparing students to participate in the institutions of our democratic society,” she added.
For Carroll, a steady hand is in order now for everyone in the Marin education community.
“Our best defense is to stay calm, think clearly and prepare mentally for the challenges ahead,” he said. “For school staff, that means reminding ourselves about the legal and ethical ways we can ensure the public school remains a safe haven where kids can thrive.”
“Schools do not, for example, ask families about citizenship or immigration status. We serve all children,” he said. “We also work as partners with other social service organizations and help families get the support they need for their children to be successful.”
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