Opinion: How federal education policy impacts rural Mendocino County

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In recent weeks, national headlines have revived an old debate with new urgency: Should the U.S. Department of Education be dismantled? The Trump administration says yes. On May 20, a formal proposal was introduced to shut down the department entirely, essentially returning all educational authority to the states.

At first glance, it might sound like a harmless, even logical idea. After all, California already sets its own standards, tests, and curriculum frameworks. So why not let each state run its own schools?

But here’s the problem: this line of thinking is based on the dangerous myth that federal education doesn’t really matter. As someone who serves on the Mendocino County Board of Education and works closely with rural school districts every day, I can tell you plainly that it absolutely does.

A lifeline for rural schools

Federal education funding is a cornerstone of many school district budgets, particularly in rural counties like ours. Last year alone, California received approximately $8 billion in federal education aid. That’s about 6% of the state’s total K–12 budget, but for smaller districts with limited tax bases, that slice can make up a much larger percentage of their funding.

Programs like Title I support schools serving low-income communities. IDEA ensures special education services for students with disabilities. Funding for migrant education, English learners, school nutrition, and even after-school programs all flow through the U.S. Department of Education. If that department disappears, so too does the infrastructure for distributing and overseeing those critical dollars.

In fact, recent actions by the federal government already demonstrate the risks of abrupt policy changes. Linda McMahon, the new head of the Department of Education, recently informed state education leaders that the window to obligate remaining federal COVID relief funds has officially closed, without warning or flexibility. Billions of unspent dollars (funds many districts had planned to use for long-term recovery efforts) may now be inaccessible. For rural areas like Mendocino, this loss is not theoretical; it could mean fewer staff, canceled programs, or delayed upgrades. Once again, the consequences of federal decisions land hardest in communities with the least buffer.

Here in Mendocino County, where many students face barriers to access and opportunity, federal programs are not extras—they are lifelines.

“We cannot politicize equity”

During a recent virtual event hosted by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), former U.S. Secretary of Education John King, who served under President Obama, spoke about the risks of politicizing public education. He warned that dismantling the Department of Education would harm the very students public schools are supposed to uplift: low-income students, English learners, rural youth, and students with disabilities. These populations have historically been underserved by state and local systems alone, which is precisely why federal oversight was introduced in the first place. “Education,” King emphasized, “is not a partisan issue. It’s a civil rights issue.”

And he’s right. Without federal guardrails, we risk returning to a fragmented system where a student’s ZIP code determines his or her entire future.

Consequences for Mendocino County students

For Mendocino County families, educators, and school leaders, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Many of our districts depend on federal grants for everything from reading intervention and special education aides to school psychologists and student nutrition. The idea that local control can fully replace these systems is unrealistic and possibly dangerous.

And while it’s true that any actual closure of the Department would require Congressional approval, the proposal itself signals a troubling direction. It distracts from real conversations we need to be having about post-pandemic recovery, teacher shortages, and equity for rural education.

Standing up for our schools

Now is the time for communities like ours to pay attention. We can’t afford to sit out these policy debates, assuming they’ll only affect big cities or distant states. What happens in Washington, D.C. very much impacts what happens in Willits, Covelo, and Laytonville.

If we want thriving schools and fair opportunities for all students, regardless of where they live or what they look like, we must protect the systems that support them. And, that includes the U.S. Department of Education. Because federal education isn’t a luxury. For Mendocino County, it’s a necessity.

Michelle Hutchins, M.A., is a trustee for Area 3 (Supervisorial District 3) on the Mendocino County Board of Education. As one of five trustees on the county board, she contributes a column to Mendocino Voice each month about the promises and challenges of education in a rural county.