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Education has never been a top priority of President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚, but that doesn鈥檛 mean schools 鈥� or students 鈥� will be immune from Trump鈥檚 agenda in the next four years, education experts say. 

Trump may slash school funding, cut civil rights protections and gut the U.S. Department of Education, based on his previous statements and the visions outlined in the  and , a conservative manifesto reimagining the federal government. 

But students may experience the most devastating effects. Trump has  of undocumented residents and crackdowns on LGBTQ rights, which could lead to higher absenteeism, higher rates of bullying and greater anxiety generally on school campuses.

鈥淭he stress created by the threat of deportations cannot be overestimated,鈥� said UCLA education professor John Rogers, who鈥檚 studied how politics plays out in K-12 education. 鈥淚t absolutely will have an impact on attendance, and it absolutely will affect parents鈥� ability to participate in their children鈥檚 education.鈥�

Student  somewhat in California since the COVID-19 pandemic, but remains very high 鈥� 24.3% last year. During the first Trump presidency, Latino student attendance and academic performance dropped significantly in areas affected by deportation arrests, . 

During Trump鈥檚 first term, his deportation efforts were foiled a bit by the courts and by disorganization at the White House, Rogers said, but those obstacles aren鈥檛 likely to be present this time.

That could leave thousands of children vulnerable to deportation or becoming separated from their parents. More than  were undocumented in the most recent census count, and almost half of California children have , the Public Policy Institute of California reported. Most of the undocumented residents are from Latin America, but a majority of newer arrivals come from Asia.

Threat to cut $8 billion for California schools 

LGBTQ students are also likely to face challenges under a Trump presidency. Trump has often disparaged 鈥渨oke鈥� policies that protect the rights of trans students and threatened to withhold federal funding for states that uphold those policies. In California, that could mean a loss of about $8 billion, or 7% of the overall education budget.

But beyond financial matters, the anti-LGBTQ language is likely to exacerbate challenges for trans students, Rogers said. Students鈥� rights to use bathrooms and play on sports teams that align with their gender identity are among the protections that Republicans have singled out for elimination.   

鈥淭his election proved that the culturally divisive rhetoric can be an effective way to garner public support,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淣ow that Trump has a bully pulpit, I expect we鈥檒l see an amplification of this rhetoric.鈥�

Mike Kirst, former president of the State Board of Education, agreed that the threat of deportations may be Trump鈥檚 biggest effect on California schools. 

鈥淚f they succeed in deporting a lot of families, that will be horrific for California schools,鈥� Kirst said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what keeps me up at night.鈥�

More power to the states?

The other proposals 鈥� dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, or eliminating 鈥渨oke鈥� curriculum, for example 鈥� would be complicated and time-consuming to accomplish, he said. Eliminating the Department of Education would require majority votes in Congress, which would be a difficult hurdle because the department provides many popular programs with bipartisan support, such as special education.

Curriculum is left to the states, and the federal government has no input.

Traditionally, Republican presidents have sought to minimize the federal government鈥檚 role in education, leaving most decisions to the states. If Trump takes that approach, California鈥檚 mostly Democratic leadership would have some independence from the Republican power brokers in Washington, D.C., Kirst said.  

Regardless, Trump would be able to use executive orders to scale back Title I, which provides benefits to low-income students, and Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination. And school choice, school vouchers and promotion of charter schools are likely to be priorities of the incoming Secretary of Education, although it鈥檚 not clear how much impact those policies would have in California.

Trump has also been outspoken in his opposition to teachers unions, saying he wants to eliminate tenure and institute merit pay.

The California Teachers Association, which campaigned heavily for Vice President Kamala Harris, said it was undeterred by Trump鈥檚 attacks.

鈥淲e are prepared to stand up against any attacks on our students, public education, workers鈥� rights and our broader communities that may come,鈥� union president David Goldberg said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to fight for the future we all deserve.鈥�

In a rare display of unity, Los Angeles Unified board members and union leaders also vowed to push back against any policies that would negatively affect students and families.

鈥淲e stand together in our commitment to protect, affirm and support everyone in the Los Angeles Unified community,鈥� the groups released in a joint statement. 鈥淲e will always provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, families and employees.鈥�

State leaders fight back

At the state level, elected officials said they鈥檇 fight Trump鈥檚 efforts to interfere in California. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Friday said he鈥檇 ask the governor to backfill any funds the federal government withholds from California, and he鈥檇 sponsor legislation to protect students.

He also reminded school districts that laws already exist to protect undocumented and LGBTQ students. , passed this year, bans school staff from 鈥渙uting鈥� students to their families. And , a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case, prohibits schools from denying students an education based on their immigration status. The state offers a plethora of guidance on how schools can support  and  students and their families. 

鈥淲hile others demonize education, we will continue to help California students, wherever they are,鈥� Thurmond said.

Attorney General Rob Bonta vowed to fight Trump鈥檚 policies with legal action, much as his predecessor Xavier Becerra did by filing or joining more than 100 lawsuits during the first Trump term. Gov. Gavin Newsom last week said he鈥檇 work with the Legislature to  and otherwise 鈥溾�� California.

Students, meanwhile, are waiting to see how the policies 鈥� and pushback 鈥� will play out in the coming months. Maria Davila, a high school senior in Beaumont in Riverside County, said that for now, she鈥檚 not overly worried about how a Trump presidency would affect schools. Some of her peers are concerned, she said, but she has faith that student activism and adult leadership will protect young people from the most extreme outcomes.

鈥淚n California we have legislative leaders who listen to students and care about young people,鈥� said Davila, a volunteer with a youth advocacy group called GenUp. 鈥淚 think we鈥檒l get the support we need. Students can be hopeful.鈥�

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