Humboldt supervisors explore deportation defense fund, study declining school enrollment

Humboldt County schools have lost more than 3,000 students since the mid-1990s, a drop that can squeeze budgets, force districts to share resources and make staffing decisions harder across the county. Michael Davies-Hughes, Humboldt County superintendent of schools since 2021 and elected in 2022, said enrollment has slid from more than 20,000 students in 1996-97 to around 17,000 today, even as the county’s graduation rate remains about 92 percent. The Humboldt County Office of Education says it serves as the intermediary between the state and local districts, with responsibilities that include fiscal oversight, credentialing, curriculum support and regional programs. Ed-Data lists the office’s enrollment at 837 students in 2024-25, and the state counts its official annual enrollment as a single-day snapshot on Census Day, the first Wednesday in October.

That enrollment strain formed one backdrop to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors’ April 14 meeting, where the board unanimously agreed to assemble a working group to explore a universal representation fund for residents facing deportation. Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone brought the proposal forward on behalf of a group of McKinleyville residents and appeared by Zoom during the discussion. The fund would rely on private donations and grants, not general county tax dollars, and the proposal envisioned county-allocated money flowing to Centro del Pueblo, the Humboldt Immigrant Rights Network and North Coast Legal Aid so people facing deportation could get qualified legal help.

McKinleyville resident Lisa Dugan called the effort a “heart-centered action” from the neighborhood and said seven or eight other California counties have created universal representation funds in different ways. But the board stopped short of a final decision. Michelle Bushnell said she was not comfortable moving ahead without hearing from more staff, including Public Defender Luke Brownfield, while Natalie Arroyo said the proposal was not defined enough to act on immediately. Rex Bohn was more skeptical, warning that county involvement could create an unnecessary bureaucratic layer and suggesting Centro del Pueblo should set up its own fund instead.

Together, the two discussions pointed to a county under pressure on two fronts: shrinking school rolls that shape the future of local districts, and rising demand for legal-defense support from residents worried about deportation. Supervisors left both issues open, with education numbers continuing to tighten and the fund idea headed back for more study before any money changes hands.