Soda ash (sodium carbonate) and potash (potassium-rich salts) are foundational to modern life. Soda ash is a key ingredient in glass manufacturing, detergents, and lithium-ion batteries, while potash is essential for global agriculture as a high-grade fertilizer.
Because these minerals are often extracted from federal or state-owned land, the mining companies must pay a percentage of their revenue—a royalty—to the government. In Trona, these funds don’t just disappear into a general fund; they are a critical pillar of local education.
How Royalties Fund the “Tornadoes”
The Trona Joint Unified School District has historically relied on these royalties for a staggering portion of its budget.
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Operating Budget: In recent years, mineral royalties have accounted for nearly 75% of the district’s annual revenue. For example, in 2023, approximately $4.11 million of a $5.58 million budget was derived from these payments.
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Infrastructure: Royalty funds are often set aside for major capital projects. The district has used these reserves to fund its portion of new school construction and to maintain facilities in a harsh environment where the salt air and extreme heat take a heavy toll on buildings.
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Recruitment: Trona is remote. The royalty revenue allows the district to offer competitive salaries to attract and retain teachers who might otherwise be deterred by the town’s isolation.
Did You Know? Trona High School is famous for “The Pit,” the only dirt football field in California. The lack of water makes grass impossible, but the “Tornadoes” play on, embodying the rugged spirit of the valley.
A Fragile Symbiosis: The 2026 Crisis
The relationship between minerals and schools is a “double-edged sword.” When the market for soda ash is strong, the schools flourish. When production falters, the schools face an existential threat.
As of early 2026, Trona is facing its most significant challenge in decades. Searles Valley Minerals (SVM) announced it would be “idling” its operations in April 2026 due to a “perfect storm” of global economic pressures.
The “Death Spiral” Effect
The idling of the plant creates a ripple effect known as the Enrollment Death Spiral:
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Job Losses: Hundreds of families lose their primary source of income.
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Exodus: Families move away to find work in nearby Ridgecrest or beyond.
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Loss of ADA: California school funding is based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA). As students leave, the district loses state funding on top of the dwindling royalty revenue.
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Cuts: Reduced funding leads to teacher layoffs and program cuts, which encourages even more families to leave.
The Path Forward
The survival of Trona’s schools now depends on resilience and state intervention. The district is currently exploring emergency state grants and looking toward the potential of other minerals, like boron, which was recently added to the U.S. Critical Minerals list.
For the residents of Trona, the fight for their schools is a fight for the town’s soul. Without the royalties from the lakebed, the “Tornadoes” face a daunting opponent: economic obsolescence. Yet, if history is any indication, the people of the Searles Valley are as tough as the minerals they mine.