Fresno Unified has found a way to put field trips back on the school calendar after parents, teachers and community members erupted over the district’s decision to eliminate them amid a growing budget crisis.
The district announced Thursday that students will once again have access to centrally funded field trips this school year, thanks to financial support from the Foundation for Fresno Unified Students.
The reversal comes just weeks after Fresno Unified said it was eliminating roughly $2.2 million in centrally funded enrichment trips as part of sweeping budget reductions, according to the Fresno Bee.
The cuts were expected to affect about 40,000 students, with popular outings, including trips to the Big Fresno Fair, pumpkin patches and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, potentially disappearing from the district-funded program.
Now, the controversial decision has been reversed.
Superintendent Mao Misty Her announced the change during a Thursday morning press conference, saying the district listened to the community’s concerns and ultimately turned to its nonprofit foundation for help.
She also apologized for the way families initially learned about the cuts, acknowledging that parents should have been contacted directly before the school year began.
“While the foundation’s generosity restores centralized field trips for this school year, it does not, however, change the long-term financial realities facing this district,” Her said.
The announcement follows a wave of criticism after the Fresno Teachers Association raised the alarm on social media in late August, asking parents and educators whether they knew the district was scrapping field trips.
The post quickly drew angry responses from community members who argued that field trips can provide experiences many Fresno children may otherwise never get.
The teachers association celebrated Thursday’s reversal, calling it a “COMMUNITY win” and crediting parents, educators, students and community members who pushed back against the cuts.
“Thousands signed the petition. Families spoke out. Educators raised questions,” the association wrote on Facebook.
The group also stressed that while it welcomed the reversal, questions remain about how the district arrived at the original decision and what happens after this school year.
The controversy has unfolded against the backdrop of a staggering financial squeeze at Fresno Unified.
The California school district is projecting an $88 million deficit next year, a figure that has jumped 49% from an earlier February projection. Enrollment is also expected to fall by roughly 1,800 students compared with last year, further squeezing the district’s finances.
Fresno Unified has already moved forward with layoffs and employee “bumping,” with nearly 200 classified employees expected to receive notices involving layoffs, displacement or reduced positions.
Against that backdrop, Her’s six-figure-salary has also become a flashpoint.
According to Transparent California, Her received a reported $386,045 base salary, along with $87,117 in benefits and $40,563 in other pay, bringing the listed total to $513,725.
The compensation controversy has fueled questions about district spending as employees face cuts and popular student programs have been placed on the chopping block.
Despite the field-trip reversal, Her cautioned that Fresno Unified’s financial problems are far from over.
The district plans to establish a Community Budget Advisory Group made up of parents, teachers, students, principals, staff and community leaders. The group will review the district’s finances and make recommendations about future spending priorities.
For now, however, Fresno students get a reprieve.
The field trips are back, but the district’s much bigger financial reckoning is still looming.
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