By ESTHER QUINTANILLA

CV Journalism Collaborative

It’s been a long year for English learners in the central San Joaquin Valley. 

From shuffling leadership in multiple local districts, rising test scores in the classroom and looming federal policy shifts, 2025 marked a year full of change for multilingual learners. 

But the year started on shaky ground. 

In January, the Trump Administration rescinded a law that prohibited federal immigration officers and agents from entering schools, hospitals and places of worship.

Local educational leaders and immigrant rights advocates united together against the order, with the goal of sharing resources and providing a sense of security for impacted families. In light of the new policy, various districts across the Valley reaffirmed their campuses would continue to be safe zones for all students regardless of immigration status. 

Throughout the year, Valley schools worked with local organizations to host Know Your Rights workshops and provide resources for families who could be impacted by immigration enforcement. 

Districts in the Fresno area did not report any incidents of immigration agents on campuses. The fear of immigration raids, however, caused nearly a quarter of students in five districts (Bakersfield City School District, Southern Kern Unified, Tehachapi Unified, Kerman Unified and Fresno Unified) to stay home instead of going to school, according to a study from Stanford University. 

Some students in the Valley also reconsidered their college plans because of the policy change. 

Despite the unpredictability of federal policy changes, English learners in the Valley made notable progress in 2025 that experts say will continue into the new year. 

Success in the classroom

Scores for English learners in Fresno are rising, catching up with pre-pandemic rates. Central Unified saw growth in English language proficiency using experimental methods, such as English learner bootcamps. District officials are expecting to see more gains after state tests in the coming spring. 

“I'm really proud of our leadership at the site levels, really embracing this work at their schools, and the passion that they have for our students,” said Cindy Escandon, director of curriculum and instruction at Central Unified.

Fresno Unified also saw leaps in scores, focusing on literacy and test preparation for students across the board. Results are promising, school leaders told news website Fresnoland. The district is aiming to try out new practices to continue boosting scores. 

Another major success for English learners was the expansion of dual language immersion programs. 

A recent study found that families of English learners are overwhelmingly supportive of creating more dual language immersion programs, noting the benefits of multilingual instruction in regular schoolwork, future career opportunities and cultural preservation. One common barrier, however, is the lack of access to schools that offer language immersion.

Merced City School District welcomed its first dual language cohort in the fall and will be adding grade offerings in the coming years. Bullard High School in Fresno Unified will launch its dual language program in 2026. 

Uncertainty at the federal level

Education leaders across the country are still bracing for federal changes, including major funding cuts, promised earlier this year by the Trump administration. At a recent webinar examining federal policy, leaders from various education institutions said they remain on edge for what’s to come.

“Spoiler alert, nothing has changed,” said Megan Hopkins, UC San Diego department chair of educational studies, at the webinar. “But we have seen a lot of shifts in the federal landscape.”

In May, President Donald Trump announced the closure of the Department of Education. The executive order was unexpected and sent waves of uncertainty about the fate of critical funding streams to support English learners and migrant students.

Regardless of the order, experts say all legal obligations for English learners and students remain in effect under the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Educational Opportunity Act – which require state and local educational agencies to overcome language barriers and provide quality education to English learners in core instruction. 

But what has changed, Hopkins said, is how districts are incentivized to continue equity for English learners and other vulnerable student groups. 

Funding specifically for this student population is distributed to districts each summer. But this year, $5 billion in Congress-approved funds were frozen in July because of a federal review of how those dollars were going to be used. Grants were eventually released weeks later.  

Montserrat Garibay of the National Association of Bilingual Education, along with dozens of other educational advocates, at the time was outraged by the sudden freeze and release of funding – stating that it only harms vulnerable students. 

“Losing the funding…it's going to have detrimental consequences, especially in those states that are not supporting English learners,” Garibay said.   

Districts in the Valley have not reported missing federal funds, but are anticipating some cuts in revenue in the new year. Administrators are preparing to utilize local control funding to fill in any gaps.