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Oregon school superintendents warn federal cuts are deepening child hunger and threatening Head Start and school funding
Summary
A joint statement from Oregon school superintendents says recent federal food-aid reductions, proposed elimination of Head Start, and threatened withholding of more than $1 billion in federal school funds are already harming children and families and urged a collective response.
A group of Oregon school superintendents said in a joint statement that recent federal policy changes and proposed budget cuts are already reducing food aid, threatening Head Start services and putting more than $1 billion in federal school funding at risk for the state.
The superintendents said specific losses include "over 4,000,000 pounds of federal food aid worth more than $7,000,000" cut from Oregon food banks since January and that "more than 144,000 children in our state are already facing hunger," according to the statement. "Decisions made in DC are showing up as empty plates in Oregon," one superintendent said.
The statement also warned the next federal budget proposes eliminating Head Start and Early Head Start programs. "If they are eliminated, about 12,000 Oregon children and their families will lose access to medical screening, oral care, and most importantly, the early childhood education they deserve," the superintendents said.
On K‑12 funding, the statement said the federal government is "threatening to withhold well over $1,000,000,000 a year from Oregon's schools," funds described as supporting students with disabilities, targeted learning in the state’s neediest schools, and school breakfast and lunch programs.
The superintendents added that Oregon has already seen cuts of "over a $100,000,000 in federal grants that were serving our most vulnerable children and families in the state," and said those reductions widen gaps in access to basic health care.
The joint statement closed with an appeal for common ground and civic engagement: "We don't need to agree on everything in order to stand together to protect Oregon's children and serve Oregon's families," and, "We're a community that cares about our kids and families," the superintendents said.
The statement did not include a list of signatories, district names, or an explicit call for a specific legislative action; it framed the remarks as a statewide appeal for communities to recognize immediate harms and speak up about pending federal decisions.
