
CA School Budgets in Disarray After Trump Freezes Federal Funding
Suzanne Potter–CA school budgets are in limbo as almost 7 billion dollars in expected federal education funding is being withheld to determine if grant programs support administration priorities.
Panic has set in at school districts across the Golden State as the Trump administration continues to withhold federal funds. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond says California school districts stand to immediately lose close to one billion dollars. Dr. Luis Valentino is a retired superintendent of Coachella Valley Unified School District and host of the podcast “District Leader: Transforming Education.” He says unless this is resolved quickly, schools will be forced to cut back or even eliminate programs.
“Without timely allocation tables from the United States Department of Education, states will be left uncertain, making it challenging to prepare for the 2025-26 school year. School districts, especially those in high-poverty and rural areas, will be left scrambling.” |
Last week the Department of Education notified schools across the country that five grant programs are now “under review” to determine if they align with administration priorities. In a statement to Real Clear Politics, the Office of Management and Budget said “initial findings have shown that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical left-wing agenda.” The grants in question fund summer learning, teacher professional development and after-school programs. They also fund English language classes and support for children of migrants.
The grants are usually distributed on July 1st. Valentino warns there will be far-reaching consequences if the congressionally-approved funding isn’t restored.
“Migrant children, English language learners, and those in low-performing schools stand to lose vital support that helps them meet academic benchmarks. This decision will only exacerbate existing educational inequities across each state.” |
Programs already underway this summer are now in limbo. In a statement, the head of the Boys and Girls Clubs said that without the promised funding, more than 900 sites nationwide serving 220-thousand kids could be forced to shut their doors, taking almost 6-thousand jobs with them.