State Superintendent Thurmond visits San Diego-area schools

(FOX 5/KUSI) — California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond visited two South Bay elementary schools Tuesday, meeting with students, parents and staff as he addressed growing concerns over federal education funding freezes and immigration enforcement.

Thurmond toured Valley Vista Elementary School and Sonia Sotomayor Elementary, where district leaders warned that the Chula Vista Elementary School District faces a $3 million shortfall. The gap stems from a $6 billion freeze on federal education funds by the Trump administration, including $1 billion earmarked for California.

“There are a lot of things happening right now that I dreamed I would never deal with,” said Chula Vista Superintendent Eduardo Reyes. “For this year, we are doing everything we can to maintain, but next year might be a different story.”

Thurmond said the state has recovered about $150 million for afterschool and summer programs, but is suing the Trump administration to reclaim roughly $1 billion in funds approved by Congress.

“We’re calling on the Trump administration to give back the money taken,” Thurmond said. “If they don’t, we will continue to use every method available, including the court system, to get it back.”

Thurmond also addressed fears among migrant families over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, which he said have left some students too afraid to attend school. He recently introduced SB 48, legislation that would prohibit ICE from entering school campuses without a judicial warrant.

“We have children who are on their own now because their parents have been taken — kidnapped,” Thurmond said. “No one knows their whereabouts, and children are struggling just to provide for themselves because of this.”