WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July first, state education agencies were expecting to receive federal funds for certain grants and programs, but instead, they got a notice stating the administration is freezing these funds while the programs are under review.
We’re told these funds, which total about seven-billion dollars, help support afterschool programs, teacher development, school based mental health services and more. We’re told the administration gave little explanation and no timeline if or when the money would be released. Other reporting states the administration stated they are “committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president’s priorities.”
“On the afterschool front, this is just traumatic,” said Jodi Grant, the executive director of the Afterschool Alliance. “This is tragic. We are hearing from programs that are literally closing their doors this week and many more that do not know what they’re going to do when school begins again as early as first week in August, so its placing a huge toll not just on our program but on our kids, the working parents and their employers that really rely on these programs to be making kids excited about learning at a time when parents aren’t normally around.”
Grant said afterschool programs help make students succeed.
“We know that students who are in after school programs are more likely to come to school, they’re more likely to stay in school and graduate, they’re more likely to behave well in class,” said Grant. “They’re more likely to complete their coursework this is because in addition to all the enrichment and mentoring and opportunities to interact with their peers, there’s also academic support in after school programs. We fear what will happen because you’ll have more kids left alone. Juvenile crime spikes when kids don’t have access to quality after school programs. We’re worried about what this means for the workforce because programs help kids with workforce skills and we’re worried about what it means for working parents who rely on these programs.”
New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY) said it’s absurd the administration is withholding funds. She also described it as “illegal”.
“These funds were approved by congress in the FY2024 appropriations budget which passed with bipartisan support,” said the Senator. “We must send a clear message to the Trump administration we will not let them get away with this.”
Senator Gillibrand expects lawsuits could be filed if the administration does not release the funds.
We reached out to the Department of Education on this but they directed us to the Office of Management and Budget. We did not hear back from them.
