Welcome to the GIA Education Report. With the latest in Southern California education news, I’m Alyssa Silva.
The Trump administration is ending $1 billion in federal grants for school-based mental health programs, originally funded under a 2022 bipartisan gun violence law. The Education Department says the programs conflicted with civil rights law and fairness standards, citing concerns over DEI-related hiring practices. While current funding will expire after this year, the administration says it will restructure future efforts to support student behavioral health without what it calls (quote) “discriminatory approaches.”
In other news, President Trump’s proposed 2026 education budget would cut $12 billion in federal education funding, eliminating programs for English learners, migrant students, teacher preparation, and adult education. While funding for Title I and special education would be maintained, programs like Upward Bound, GEAR UP, and federal work-study are being looked at. The administration argues these cuts restore state control and reduce federal overreach, but education advocates warn they could widen achievement gaps, disrupt teacher pipelines, and undermine supports for low-income and immigrant communities. The proposal now heads to Congress for debate.
California lawmakers advanced a new compromise bill aimed at improving early reading instruction statewide. Assembly Bill 1454, which earned unanimous support in its first committee hearing, would align teacher training and textbook selection with evidence-based literacy practices for TK-8 students. The bill received backing from the California Teachers Association after months of negotiation and will include guidance for English learner needs. If approved, the bill could lead to increased transparency on reading outcomes and teacher training participation as state leaders track progress across districts.
A team of students from College of the Desert took first place at the 2025 Inland Empire California Mayors Cup, a regional cybersecurity competition aimed at preparing the next generation of digital security professionals. Team “Tom and the Jerries” outperformed peers from across the region in the three-hour challenge, which was designed to expand access to cybersecurity careers and address a statewide workforce shortage. Several other COD teams placed in the top 10, highlighting the college’s growing strength in technology education and workforce readiness.
To close this report, we highlight Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus breaking ground on its first state-funded building — a $79 million student services center that will significantly expand academic, wellness, and career support for its growing student body. Funded through the 2022 state budget, the new facility will include tutoring and advising services, a library, health and wellness centers, food services, and a cross-cultural center. Designed to support up to 4,000 full-time students, the project marks a major step in the campus’s evolution from a locally supported site to a fully developed CSU campus serving the Coachella Valley.
And that’s this week’s GIA Education Report, I’m Alyssa Silva.
