ASSEMBLYMEMBER HADWICK CELEBRATES CONGRESSIONAL ACTION FOR CRITICAL SECURE RURAL SCHOOL FUNDING

SACRAMENTO (December 9, 2025) – Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas) applauds the bipartisan passage of S.356, the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization Act, a major step towards delivering stable, essential support for rural communities.

“Secure Rural Schools funding is not a luxury—it’s a promise. A promise made to rural, forested counties across America, and especially here in Northern California’s Assembly District 1. Forty-four hundred school districts rely on this support, and nearly 60% of California’s SRS funding comes directly to our district. All 11 of the counties that I represent depend on these dollars, all 11 receive it —and not just for classrooms, but for roads, infrastructure, fire services, and law enforcement,” said Assemblywoman Hadwick.

In October, the Assemblymember joined a team of organizations, including the Fall River and Trinity County Superintendents, the Small School Districts’ Association, National Rural Education Association (NREA), and the Forested Counties and Schools Coalition (NFC&SC), and students in Washington D.C. to advocate for SRS. FFA students traveling with the group shared powerful testimony with lawmakers about how SRS funding directly impacts their education and communities. “I’m proud to say Team Hadwick helped make it possible for every single attendee — from eight states — to participate at no cost, thanks to generous donations from organizations that believe in the power of rural education,” added Assemblywoman Hadwick.

S.356 passed the House with strong bipartisan support (395–4). The bill now heads to the President, where he is expected to consider it in the coming weeks.

Assemblywoman Hadwick emphasized the importance of this moment, saying, “Congress had the chance today to show that rural America matters too. I am so grateful that they approved S.356, because when they invest in Secure Rural Schools, they invest in our kids, our counties, and our future. It’s about keeping hope alive in small towns that have long been the backbone of this state. It’s about ensuring that kids in rural California have the same opportunities as kids anywhere else. Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about funding. It’s about fairness. It’s about the promise that every child, no matter where they live, deserves a quality education and a thriving community to grow up in.”

To read Assemblywoman Hadwick’s letter to Congress urging for the reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools, click HERE. To see images from the Assemblywoman’s time in DC advocating for SRS, click HERE.

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