Quick look: Most programs that rely on federal support in Orange County schools won’t be impacted by this week’s government shutdown — at least in the short term.
As expected, the federal government shut down at midnight on Wednesday after Congress was unable to reach agreement on a new spending plan. While the closure has raised concerns across many sectors, most Orange County school programs that receive federal funding aren’t likely to face immediate disruptions.
In California, the vast majority of education funding comes from the state. Even so, federal dollars are critical for programs such as Title I, which provides funding to schools serving higher numbers of students from low-income families, and IDEA, which supports special education services. These, along with school nutrition programs, represent the largest share of federal support.
Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean noted on Wednesday that Title I and IDEA are forward funded, with allocations secured in advance of the school year. Both were funded in July for the current fiscal year, with an additional advance released Oct. 1.
“This means the core federal resources that districts rely on are not expected to be interrupted unless the shutdown is prolonged,” Dr. Bean said.
Federal nutrition programs, including school meals, also maintain several months of reserves. As a result, reimbursements to states — and subsequently to school districts — should continue uninterrupted for the time being.
Vulnerable to delays
Other programs that are not forward funded are more vulnerable to delays. For example, Impact Aid, which provides funding to districts that educate children of military families and others living on federal land, is paused during a shutdown. Likewise, most new or pending competitive grants cannot be awarded until appropriations resume.
Head Start, a federal program that supports early learning for children from low-income families, may also face temporary closures in some communities if their grant periods began on or near Oct. 1.
Countywide, Orange County school districts budgeted more than $450 million in federal revenue for the 2025–26 school year. Again, most of that is connected to IDEA, Title I and nutrition. Unless the shutdown continues for an extended period, the majority of those funds will remain accessible.
Bean said OCDE will continue to monitor developments closely and share updates with districts as additional guidance becomes available from the California Department of Education.