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Del Norte County’s top education official said he doesn’t anticipate a major impact if the Trump administration makes good on its threat to shut the U.S. Department of Education down.

Del Norte County Unified School District Superintendent Jeff Harris told trustees Thursday that he foresees responsibilities being shifted to other departments at the federal level. There is concern about the Trump administration stopping discretionary dollars that had gone to the Department of Education, but Congressionally-mandated monies likely won’t disappear, Harris said.

“There will be government agencies that oversee them potentially,” he said. “If there is a reduction in funding — we call them Title Funds — just know there are always reductions in Title Funds and always increases to Title Funds. We’ll keep an eye on those as we go ahead.”

Harris appraised trustees of a roundtable discussion he participated in on Feb. 4 hosted by U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman. Harris and other education officials in Huffman’s Congressional district discussed federal funding for schools that come from the Secure Rural Schools Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Title funds, which supplement state dollars allocated to education.

DNUSD’s superintendent, who also oversees the Del Norte County Office of Education, said when it comes to a federal funding freeze he was concerned about impacts to the district’s Mental Health Demonstration Grant, which pays for eight to 10 psychiatrists and social workers.

Harris said officials are also concerned about impacts to the Klamath Promise Neighborhood Grant, a $30 million grant that funds a variety of programs to Del Norte. About $6 million went to DNUSD.

But, Harris told trustees, “at this point, we’re in a watch and see, but we don’t anticipate major shifts.”

Harris said Huffman’s discussion also touched on immigration with the “big things” being the removal of churches and schools as sensitive places for immigration enforcement.

“This Board developed a policy in 2018 about any law enforcement coming onto campus,” he said. “Our local law enforcement follows the policy. They’re good about having conversations and doing what they need to do. There is a very specific policy around immigration enforcement on school campuses and that’s in compliance with state law, federal law and a Supreme Court decision that hasn’t changed in 2018, it didn’t change [in] 2021 and it didn’t change in 2025. We’re still following the same policies.”

The district’s “Response to Immigration Enforcement” policy, adopted on June 28, 2018, states that DNUSD staff shall not solicit or collect information or documents regarding the citizenship or immigration status of its students or their family. The policy also states that DNUSD staff will not provide assistance with immigration enforcement “except as may be required by state and federal law.”

Harris’s comments about the district’s immigration policy or the thought that a dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education won’t have major impacts to Del Norte schools didn’t assuage Lupe Gutierrez’s concerns.

Gutierrez, a leader with True North Organizing Network, who spoke about funding for public education during the People’s March last month. asked if DNUSD had a contingency plan. She also asked if the district’s fiscal staff could inform the public about the potential impacts to DNUSD if federal funding is cut.

“I don’t believe we actually know what will happen, but I know you have to project three years out and have to plan on how that will affect services, programs and jobs,” she told the Board of Trustees. “In the event of a long-term pause or loss, how are you going to prioritize what you’re going to cut back? How much are you going to cut back? Somewhere along the line, you must have an inclination of that.”

Even if the Title Funds aren’t frozen, dismantling the U.S. Department of Education will still be chaotic.

“We would like to know as much as you possibly can,” she said. “And I think you need to educate the public, meaning parents, teachers and [classified staff] who work for you.”

On Monday, Gutierrez told Redwood Voice Community News that she was also concerned about whether all DNUSD staff are informed about the district’s immigration enforcement policy.

Gutierrez, who is also vice president of the Del Norte Democratic Central Committee, said at least three DNUSD staff are part of the committee and “they said they have not seen anything.”

On Thursday, Trustee Michael Greer, Del Norte’s representative to the California School Board Association, urged his colleagues “to become more vocal.”

“A lot of things are happening fast and quick, and this is an opportunity, quite frankly,” he said, adding that he’s been meeting with state and federal legislators. “CSBA will be arranging a time for us to meet with legislators. A lobby will be coming up here within the next month and a half.”

Board President Charlaine Mazzei pointed out that Del Norte County has a new representative in the California Assembly, Chris Rogers. She urged district officials to invite him to Del Norte County, along with State Sen. Mike McGuire and a representative from Huffman’s office.

“What I’m trying to figure out with the advocacy, is they’re getting hit from all sides because everything is up in the air,” she said. “How do we craft the message that it isn’t just about this program or that program, that there’s a need to support rural communities and not flood them with a letter here [and] a letter there? I would like to reach out to their office.”