With federal cuts to education funding looming, educators in the region met with Congressman Jay Obernolte. They asked him to protect federal funding and vote to keep the Department of Education open.
Schools in Obernolte’s district get some 455 million dollars from the federal government.
The California Teachers’ Association says that money goes to support students with disabilities, school meals and smaller class sizes.
"One of the main concerns we have is that if there are any cuts to special ed in particular," Jim Resvaloso, president of the Hesperia Teachers Association.
He says the loss of federal funding would affect students with special needs the most. At the meeting at the Hesperia Library on Tuesday, educators also asked Obernolte to reinstate a rule that prevents ICE from entering public schools.
Obernolte said in an email that he’ll quote “fight to ensure our students get the federal funding and resources they need to succeed in the classroom.”