The op-ed was originally published in EdSource on July 28, 2025.
By Ia Moua
The Trump administration claims to prioritize students, but behind the speeches and photo ops, it has shown its true colors by cutting the very programs that keep our students afloat.
Recently, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced the dismantling of AmeriCorps‘ programs in the name of fiscal responsibility. AmeriCorps is the federal agency vital to supporting volunteer and service efforts in California and across the country.
(Even though a federal judge temporarily paused the cuts for California and other states that sued the federal government, the situation remains uncertain, and funding is still not getting through.)
Slashing AmeriCorps isn’t just misguided and shortsighted, it’s an attack on the tutors, mentors and experienced adults who stand between our kids and a system that too often fails them. Now, county superintendents of schools and students across California are already experiencing the cost of these decisions.
For decades, AmeriCorps has been a national service program that places dedicated members in schools and communities to meet critical needs while building their own futures. From Siskiyou to San Diego counties, AmeriCorps members provide direct academic support, mentor youth, expand mental health and social-emotional learning programs, and strengthen school-community partnerships. They help children facing the steepest barriers to success, including poverty, trauma or housing instability.
Because of AmeriCorps, these students get extra attention, guidance and support from these service members. At the same time, AmeriCorps offers its members invaluable work experience, pathways to careers in education and public service, help pay for college and opportunities that grow our teacher workforce.
The Trump administration’s dismantling of AmeriCorps, under the guise of fiscal responsibility, is nothing short of a farce. These cuts are not saving money. They’re wasting it. As a public-private partnership, AmeriCorps is a unique example of federal government efficiency and tax-dollar stewardship. For every $1 invested in national service, $17 is returned to communities in benefits to service members, government and society, according to a Voices for National Service study.
In Napa County, AmeriCorps members provided essential tutoring in literacy and math, along with mentoring and social-emotional support to build confidence and foster a connection to schools.
Here’s what Barbara Nemko, Napa County superintendent of schools, has to say about it: “In our many years running AmeriCorps programs, we found the return on investment to be unmatched. The impact our programs have had on students has been significant, including improved academic performance and self-confidence through the valuable mentor relationships. The AmeriCorps members themselves often go on to make a difference for our communities, including becoming educators and leaders.”
The results speak for themselves. Students supported by AmeriCorps’ programs demonstrate stronger attendance, improved academic achievement and a greater sense of connection to their schools. And yet, under these proposed cuts, those same students stand to lose the very programs making a difference in their lives.
In a time of widening opportunity gaps and post-pandemic learning recovery, we should be strengthening these kinds of service programs, not dismantling them. AmeriCorps is a proven investment in education, in community, and in the next generation of change-makers. Gutting its funding sends a devastating message to the students and families we serve.
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Ia Moua is the state and national service director of California Volunteers, the state office responsible for engaging Californians in service, volunteering and civic action.
Allan Carver, Siskiyou County superintendent of schools; Alysse Castro, Alameda County superintendent of schools; John G. Mendiburu, Ed.D., Kern County superintendent of schools; and Barbara Nemko, Ed.D., Napa County superintendent of schools, contributed to this commentary.