BIANCA V. ZQUEZ TONESS and COLLIN BINKLEY, Associated Press
Washington (AP) As part of a review to make sure funding support President Donald Trump’s policies, the Trump administration is withholding almost $6 billion in federal grants for adult literacy, English language training, after-school and summer programs, and other areas.
The decision creates further ambiguity about when or whether states and schools will receive the funding, leaving them in a precarious position as they plan for activities this summer and the next school year. A confrontation with Democrats, who claim the administration is breaking the law by withholding funds that Congress appropriated, is also set up by this.
According to schools, without the funding, they might not be able to recruit teachers to instruct English-learning students or offer low-income children free or reasonably priced after-school care while their parents are at work.
The Education Department declared Monday that the funds would not be delivered while the programs are being reviewed, despite the fact that programs that depend on the cash were anticipating its distribution on July 1. The department cautioned that funding selections for the next school year have not yet been made and did not specify a timeline.
In the notice, which The Associated Press was able to get, Education Department officials stated that the Department is still dedicated to making sure public funds are used in line with the President’s goals and the Department’s statutory obligations.
Related Articles
-
UPenn to ban transgender athletes, feds say, ending civil rights case focused on swimmer Lia Thomas
-
Sanitation workers walk off the job after contract negotiations falter
-
Mayors, doctor groups sue over Trump s efforts to restrict Obamacare enrollment
-
Justice Department says 2 Chinese nationals charged with spying inside the US for Beijing
-
HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, US judge says
A request for comment was not immediately answered by the Office of Management and Budget, which was referred to by the department for comment.
Proponents worry that the grants are being targeted for deletion, which may compel schools to reduce staff and services. The administration believes the programs under evaluation are redundant, as evidenced by Trump’s 2026 budget proposal, which called for Congress to zero out all of them.
The administration was pressured by Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, to use the funds as Congress had directed.
Murray said in a statement that each day this funding is delayed, school districts are forced to worry about whether they will have to reduce after-school activities or fire teachers rather than how to ensure our children can succeed.
The department’s move was deemed a surprising betrayal by a national association promoting after-school programming.
According to Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, withholding these funding will have a long-term negative impact on our education system, our future workforce, our economy, and children and families.
21st Century Community Learning Centers is one of the six grant programs being reviewed. According to the alliance, it is the main source of federal money for summer and after-school activities and supports over 10,000 local programs around the country. This fiscal year, the funds totaled $1.3 billion, and each state administers its own competition to award them.
The following grants are also being reviewed: $2 billion for teacher professional development and class size reduction efforts; $1 billion for academic enrichment grants, which are frequently used for accelerated learning and science and math education; $890 million for English language learners; $376 million for migrant worker children’s education; and $715 million for reading instruction for adults.
The education agency in California reported that it received notification on Monday that it would no longer be receiving funding from such programs.
California’s state superintendent, Tony Thurmond, said in a statement that Trump is unlawfully seizing billions of dollars that Congress has approved to help kids this fiscal year. When states reject Trump’s political philosophy, the Administration is penalizing children.
In a letter to Senate Committee on Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins in April, the administration had indicated that it wanted to remove a large portion of the funding.
Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, stated in that letter that reducing funding for English language instruction for children will help put an end to Washington’s overreach and reinstate the proper role of state supervision in education.
Amaya Garcia, who is in charge of education research at the left-leaning think tank New America, stated that they are attempting to convey a message. They don’t think these kids should be supported by taxpayer money.
Several private foundations provide funding for the Associated Press’s educational coverage. All content is the exclusive responsibility of AP. Visit AP.org to view the guidelines for AP when working with philanthropies, as well as a list of funded coverage areas and supporters.
