BUSD faces $8 million budget deficit
With the state budget adjusting and federal COVID-19 relief funds expiring, Berkeley Unified School District faced an eight million dollar budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year. In March of 2025, the district distributed layoff notices to many BUSD employees. The school district later rescinded over 150 of the original notices. Among other funds cut, the district withheld partial staffing funds from the Office of Family Engagement and Equity (OFEE), using community engagement from surveys and town hall meetings to guide its decision. The OFEE strives to build partnerships between families, school staff, and community providers. Looking ahead to 2026, it remains to be seen how additional anticipated budget cuts will impact BUSD.
Increase in ICE raids sparks fear
Shortly after Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, the country saw a spike in U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) raids. In July, Congress approved legislation allocating $170 billion to immigration enforcement. In September, Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and Grammy winner Bad Bunny announced his decision to exclude U.S. concerts in his 2025-26 world tour due to safety concerns, such as threats from ICE to his primary audience. Bad Bunny will still be performing in the Super Bowl LX halftime show in 2026. Trump’s threats to deploy ICE around the Bay Area in late October caused Berkeley High School to cancel its annual Dia de los Muertos event. Fear and anxiety remain high for many families as more raids are anticipated in 2026.
Charlie Kirk assassination
Prominent political commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a speech at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. With a viral video of the shooting circling online, the assassination not only sparked conversation amongst the BHS student body but also paved the way to create the BHS Conservative Club. In October, a BHS chapter of Turning Point USA was launched, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Kirk. On Nov. 10, after touring eight other college campuses, Turning Point USA made its final stop at University of California Berkeley. Police surrounded the venue where the event was being held in response to the hundreds of protesters who arrived outside. In the Dec. 8, 2025 BHS Bulletin, the club announced it would be cutting ties with Turning Point USA and rebranding to become the Conservative Club.
Protests in Berkeley
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Photo by Marielle Bled
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Photo by Sunny Bevis-Lipton
There have been many protests in Berkeley in 2025. In February, outside of City Hall, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers (BFT) and other educators’ organizations gathered in support of the “We Can’t Wait” campaign, which demanded improved school funding. The campaign is ongoing, and the BFT is currently in negotiations. In March, the Black Student Union (BSU) organized a walkout protesting on-campus arrests of multiple students of color carried out by the Student Resource Officer (SRO) at BHS, Lino Guananja. An SRO is an on-campus law enforcement officer stationed at some schools with the responsibility of ensuring safety and crime prevention, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Over 50 students attended the walkout, and an accompanying petition to remove the SRO was signed by 315 people. Guananja was temporarily removed from his position following these events but has since returned as the school’s SRO for the 2025-26 school year. Teachers’ protests continued in May with a May Day demonstration, which celebrated unions and continued to push for improved school funding and stability. On Oct. 18, 2025, people worldwide gathered in protest as part of No Kings Day, a large-scale political demonstration aimed at opposing perceived authoritarian policies under the Trump administration. Protests were held all across the Bay Area, and Berkeley, attracting many BHS students. On Oct. 24, 2025, the BHS Sunrise Club hosted a walkout in support of the Make Polluters Pay bill, which would require big oil companies to give a portion of their profits towards climate change reform initiatives. Over 100 BHS students participated in the walkout, and the bill has been passed in Berkeley but not yet across all of California.