DOGE cuts to AmeriCorps jeopardizing student programs at San Francisco school

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A beloved garden program at a San Francisco elementary school is at risk of being cut, as federal funding reductions to AmeriCorps begin to affect education programs across the country.

At Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School in the city's Outer Sunset neighborhood, the garden is more than just a patch of greenery. It's where students learn how food grows, build healthy habits, and connect with the natural world.

"Today they were looking for bugs and spiders and things of that nature," said Rhonda Hontales, a grandmother of two students at the school. "We're trying to teach them healthy eating habits and also help them understand how things grow."

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But that hands-on learning experience may soon disappear. In an email sent to parents this week, the school announced that the garden program, which serves more than 400 students, is in jeopardy due to cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, that affect AmeriCorps, the federal agency that helps fund the garden program.

AmeriCorps provides volunteers and services for a wide range of national needs, including disaster relief, education, public health, and support for veterans. At Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary, AmeriCorps has helped fund the gardening instructor position.

"They cannot afford to keep the gardening teacher staffed," Hontales said.

The San Francisco Unified School District did not respond to ABC7 News anchor Dion Lim's questions about which additional schools might be affected by the funding cuts. However, in a statement, the district told Lim it has filed a lawsuit against AmeriCorps.

The lawsuit alleges the agency "illegally conditioned continued program funding on compliance with President Trump's executive orders and actions." A court hearing is scheduled for next month.

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Tuesday that California is joining a coalition of 22 attorneys general and states suing the federal government. The coalition claims that proposed cuts threaten $400 million in AmeriCorps grants, which account for more than 40% of the agency's national budget.

"Trump and Elon Musk don't have the right to gut AmeriCorps," Bonta said. "We won't let the president dismantle an agency that represents the best of what we can be."

Back at Stevenson Elementary, Hontales said she's not waiting for a court decision. She plans to help fundraise to save the garden program for her grandsons and their classmates.

"I hope there's a way to get this funded and that it'll be reversed," she said. "That's what we want - the best things for our children."