School district leaders announce support for Prop 50, discuss resolution in upcoming board meeting 

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego Unified School District members held a press conference on Monday announcing a proposed resolution in support of Proposition 50, California’s proposed redistricting plan. 

Also known as the Election Rigging Response Act, the proposition will redistrict five of California’s congressional seats in response to Texas’ similar redistricting efforts. Incumbents like San Diego area Republican Congressman Darrel Issa, at are risk of losing their majority support if Prop 50 is passed. 

SDUSD President Cody Petterson and Vice President Richard Barrera shared their support for the proposition, sharing it will help protect students against federal funding cuts made by the Trump Administration.  

“Our schools are facing a manufactured crisis — not because of a lack of will or vision, but because of deliberate, destructive federal policies,” Petterson said. “Proposition 50 gives California a stronger voice to push back against these attacks and to fight for the dignity and wellbeing of every child. This resolution is about ensuring our students are not abandoned.” 

Board members also cited Immigration Customs and Enforcement’s (ICE) detaining of parents near school grounds as reason for backing Prop 50. Barrera said that Congress is currently funding ICE 10 times more than they are funding special education programs in the country.  

He said they are doing this to “meet their quotas that are based in racism.” 

“The federal government is turning its back on public education, and our students are paying the price,” Barrera said. “From stripping families of basic supports like food and healthcare to slashing critical education funding to terrorizing our parents as they drop off and pick up their children at school.” 

At SDUSD’s scheduled meeting on Tuesday, board trustees will vote on an official resolution determining the district’s support for California redistricting. The resolution also condemns federal cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), cuts to mental health resources, ICE deporting parents near schools and more recent actions by the Trump Administration. 

San Diego County Office of Education President Gregg Robinson said that Prop 50 is needed to support students and is “a promise that we won’t let political games in Washington rob our kids of the support they need and deserve.” 

Educational association leaders also expressed support for the resolution. Members from the California School Employee Association (CSEA) and San Diego Education Association (SDEA) said funding for essential programs at schools are at risk. 

“Now is the time for union educators to stand together and fight back against Trump’s election rigging…we’ve already seen too many attacks on critical school funding for special education, meals for hungry children and more,” SDEA President Kyle Weinberg said. 

Much of the district’s federal funding has been returned because of a lawsuit against the Trump administration. However, SDUSD was expected to lose $13 million in funding and Poway Unified School District said they could have lost over $1 million.  

Barrera has stated that these funding cuts would lead to cuts in after school programs, summer activities, teacher training, English learning programs and more. He stated that voters need to elect a new Congress to address these concerns. 

“We see this Congress blindly go along with what Trump wants to do and not stand up to him,” Barrera said. “We will stand up to him in California — our educators, our families, our school board members up and down the state. Educators in California are saying enough is enough.”