The U.S. Department of Education is expected to release some of the federal funds for public schools today that were previously frozen nationwide.
On July 1, the Department withheld about $6.8 billion in federal funds to schools nationwide for review – with $165 million dollars in funding to North Carolina – citing the need to review the funding to ensure it aligns with President Trump’s priorities.
Then on Friday, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction received an email from the U.S. Department of Education notifying them that $35.8 million of those funds, those for after-school and summer programs, will be released.
Other funding is still on pause for teacher training, and for services for English language learners and migrant students.
Last week, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined 24 other states in a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking an injunction to have the funds that were appropriated by Congress in March to be sent to states.
Public school advocates hope other funds could still be released
AASA, the School Superintendents’ Association, brought school administrators to Congress to ask for the funds to be restored. Their Advocacy Director Sasha Pudelski said she’s still hopeful the other funds will still be released.
“They were all appropriated by Congress and they were all budgeted for by school districts, and so schools are relying on these funds for the next few weeks as schools open,” Pudelski said.
Pudelski said she doesn’t know why the after-school and summer program funds were singled out for release before others.
“I could speculate that perhaps the stories coming out about summer programs being cut mid-summer was compelling to some,” Pudelski said. “Certainly organizations like the United Way and Boys and Girls Clubs and others have a fantastic reputation.”
Related: After-school programs, a boon for learning, could face Trump cuts
“It’s still very important that parents and students and educators and communities continue to reach out to the folks who represent them in Congress and let them know that they need these funds to be released so that schools have the best possible chance to give their kids a high quality education this school year,” Pudelski added.
A statement the White House Office of Management and Budget emailed to media outlets said the U.S. Department of Education’s review of the 21st Century Learning Center program has been completed and that “guardrails have been put in place to ensure these funds are not used in violation of Executive Orders.”
The email the U.S. Department of Education sent to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction also said the funds cannot be used in any manner that violates the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and various other federal laws.
“To the extent that a grantee uses grant funds for such unallowable activities, the Department intends to take appropriate enforcement action…which may include the recovery of funds,” the U.S. Department of Education warned state agencies.
