Rural school districts — already struggling financially — are desperately fighting to save a century-old funding source that Republican lawmakers cut from the federal budget last month.
The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which has been passed almost continuously since 1908, is intended to compensate rural counties that have large tracts of untaxable national forest land. Last year, the bill brought nearly $40 million to 39 California counties, funding everything from after-school programs to school roof repairs.
The money is a lifeline for rural districts, which receive less money from the state than their urban and suburban counterparts due to lower enrollments, but tend to have large numbers of needy students and incur higher costs, such as providing bus service to remote areas.
In December, amid the flurry of last-minute budget negotiations, the bill failed in the House after House Speaker Mike Johnson failed to bring it up for a vote. The bill's original sponsors hope to reintroduce it in the next few weeks in a final attempt to pass it before the final budget deadline in March.
It's a long shot, but school officials are resuming their fight because the loss of these funds could have a profound impact on rural school districts.
“It may not seem like a lot, but it is real money for us,” said Allan Carver, superintendent of Siskiyou County, which received $4.3 million from Secure Rural Schools last year. “If it were to go away, there would be a hole in our budget that would have an undeniable impact on children.”
The GOP promises to cut federal spending
The Republican congressmen did not respond to interview requests from CalMatters. But in budget hearings they have promised to cut government spending, including education funding. President-elect Donald Trump has also proposed dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and making further cuts to schools. His adviser Elon Musk — whom Trump recently appointed to head a yet-to-be-created department of government efficiency — has made clear his desire to cut federal programs.
That's been frustrating for rural residents, many of whom supported Trump in November and believe Secure Rural Schools is neither a partisan issue nor a government handout.
“This is not a 'gift' from Congress,” said Lonnie Hunt, a retired judge from rural Texas and chairman of the National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition. “It is a pact made between the government and local communities more than 100 years ago. If the federal government had not made this deal, it would never have been able to create the National Forest Service.”
“But somehow it got lost in politics,” Hunt added. “It's a shame that rural America is being victimized here. And I point my finger in all directions, not just one side.”
Mold and layoffs in Trinity County
Secure Rural Schools traces its roots to the founding of the National Forest Service in the early 20th century, when the federal government set aside millions of acres of land for logging. With this land removed from local tax rolls, surrounding communities were left with budget deficits – and little opportunity to supplement the money. In compensation, the federal government agreed to share a portion of the timber profits with these areas. As the lumber industry began to decline in the 1990s, the government began increasing payments through the modern version of Secure Rural Schools.
The money goes to counties that have National Forest Service land, where it is divided between schools and public works. With almost 21 million hectares of national forest, California receives far more than any other state. And within California, Trinity County received the second-highest amount last year — $3.5 million.
Located in the mountains of northwestern California, Trinity County covers 3,208 square miles and is more than twice the size of Rhode Island. About 80% of it is owned by the federal government, meaning it has limited ability to raise money through local tax measures. Due in part to the decline in logging, it is also one of the state's poorest counties, with a poverty rate of more than 20%, compared to 12% statewide.
Trinity Alps Unified, the county's largest district, received about $600,000 from Secure Rural Schools last year, about 5% of its total budget. That money is critical to funding things like teacher aides, art and music programs, field trips and after-school programs, Superintendent Jaime Green said.
Local residents know all too well what could happen without safe rural schools. In 2016, the only other time in recent memory that the law failed to pass, Trinity County school districts lacked money to make basic repairs to school buildings, leading to dangerous toxic mold outbreaks on numerous campuses. Student and teacher lives have been disrupted by school closures, and the state has had to spend more than $50 million to help districts rebuild.
This time, Green warns the district may have to cut seven jobs, which would result in larger class sizes and fewer enrichment programs. He fears the students who need the most help will suffer the worst impacts.
“We are an impoverished county, and the only way to reverse this pattern of poverty is through education,” Green said. “Cutting funding harms children. We have to be realistic about that.”
Keep the pressure on
Green and other rural superintendents have traveled to Washington, D.C., nearly a dozen times in the past year to advocate for safe rural schools. Their work paid off, at least in the Senate, where the bill passed unanimously.
Green and his colleagues plan to keep up the pressure through emails and phone calls on Republican leadership, hoping to persuade them to support rural schools even as they face pressure from Musk and Trump to cut federal spending .
James Gore, Sonoma County supervisor and president of the National Association of Counties, also is a persistent advocate for safe rural schools. He said there are usually last-minute arguments before the bill is passed, but this year was “very different.”
“Every time it comes up, all the cowboy hats come out” to lobby for the bill in Washington, D.C., he said. “This year we had a lot of momentum and thought we could do it. It was a slap in the face when it didn't go through. To be honest, we were shocked.”
The lack of population and money in rural areas often causes politicians to ignore the needs of residents in those areas, Gore said. Likewise, few people outside rural areas would know about the impact if programs were cut, he said. None of the Republican leaders in the House, including Johnson, leader Steve Scalise and House Majority Leader Tom Emmer, represent areas that receive funding for safe rural schools. None of the three responded to requests for comment.
“It’s a catastrophe that no one knows about,” Gore said, referring to the bill’s failure. “But we have an absolute responsibility to these small towns that are the stewards of these largely unmanned federal lands.”
The last payment to Secure Rural Schools was made in April. Even if Congress returns to funding the bill next year, just one year of missed payments could have an impact, superintendents said. Children will fall behind academically and teachers will lose their jobs. In small communities where jobs are scarce, layoffs can have a disproportionate impact, sometimes causing families to leave the area entirely.
“We used to go through the steps, but we always solved the problem with the buzzer,” Hunt said. “This year we got past the buzzer and are in OT. But we won’t give up.”