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Admin Withholds $6B for School Programs07/02 06:07
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Day camp providers and schools are warning that a Trump
administration funding freeze could wreck summer for low-income American
families and wipe out some after-school programming next year.
The administration is withholding more than $6 billion in federal grants for
after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy
and more as part of a review to ensure grants align with President Donald
Trump's priorities.
The move leaves states and schools in limbo as they budget for programs this
summer and in the upcoming school year, introducing new uncertainty about when
-- or if -- they will receive the money. It also sets the stage for a clash
with Democrats, who say the administration is flouting the law by holding back
money Congress appropriated.
Without the money, schools say they won't be able to provide free or
affordable after-school care for low-income kids while their parents work, and
they may not be able to hire staff to teach children who are learning English.
Even classes or camps underway this summer could be in jeopardy.
For instance, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America depend on some of the
withheld money to run camps and other summer programming for low-income
students. If funding isn't restored soon, the programming may end mid-season,
said Boys and Girls Club President Jim Clark.
After-school programming in the fall could also take a hit. "If these funds
are blocked, the fallout will be swift and devastating," Clark said. As many as
926 Boys and Girls Clubs could close, affecting more than 220,000 kids, the
group said.
Programs that rely on the money were expecting it to be distributed July 1,
but an Education Department notice issued Monday announced the money would not
be released while the programs are under review. The department did not provide
a timeline and warned that "decisions have not yet been made" on grants for the
upcoming school year.
"The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent
in accordance with the President's priorities and the Department's statutory
responsibilities," Education Department officials wrote in the notice, which
was obtained by The Associated Press.
The department referred questions to the Office of Management and Budget,
which did not respond to a request for comment.
After-school child care at risk
In Gadsden City Schools in Alabama, officials say they'll have no choice but
to shutter their after-school program serving more than 1,200 low-income
students if federal funds aren't released. There's no other way to make up for
the frozen federal money, said Janie Browning, who directs the program.
Families who rely on after-school programs would lose an important source of
child care that keeps children safe and engaged while their parents work. The
roughly 75 employees of the district's after-school programs may lose their
jobs.
"Those hours between after school and 6 o'clock really are the hours in the
day when students are at the most risk for things that may not produce great
outcomes," Browning said. "It would be devastating if we lost the lifeline of
afterschool for our students and our families."
Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, said withholding
the money could cause lasting damage to the economy.
Some advocates fear the grants are being targeted for elimination, which
could force schools to cut programs and teachers. Trump's 2026 budget proposal
called for Congress to zero out all of the programs under review, signaling the
administration sees them as unnecessary.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., pressed the administration to spend the money as
Congress intended.
"Every day that this funding is held up is a day that school districts are
forced to worry about whether they'll have to cut back on afterschool programs
or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can
succeed," Murray said in a statement.
What the money funds
The six grant programs under review include one known as 21st Century
Community Learning Centers. It's the primary federal funding source for
after-school and summer learning programs and supports more than 10,000 local
programs nationwide, according to the Afterschool Alliance. Every state runs
its own competition to distribute the grants, which totaled $1.3 billion this
fiscal year.
Also under review are $2 billion in grants for teachers' professional
development and efforts to reduce class size; $1 billion for academic
enrichment grants, often used for science and math education and accelerated
learning; $890 million for students who are learning English; $376 million to
educate the children of migrant workers; and $715 million to teach adults how
to read.
These programs account for over 20% of the federal money the District of
Columbia receives for K-12 education, according to an analysis by the Learning
Policy Institute, a think tank. California alone has over $800,000 in limbo,
while Texas has over $660,000.
"Trump is illegally impounding billions of dollars appropriated by Congress
to serve students this fiscal year," said Tony Thurmond, California's state
superintendent, in a statement. "The Administration is punishing children when
states refuse to cater to Trump's political ideology.
The loss of funds could "put several more school districts in extreme
financial distress," said Chris Reykdal, superintendent of public instruction
in Washington state. Districts have already adopted budgets, planned
programming and hired staff, assuming they'd receive the money, Reykdal said.
If the funding freeze remains, children learning English and their parents
would be especially affected. Some districts use the money to pay for summer
programming designed for English learners, family engagement specialists who
can communicate with parents and professional development training for staff.
Rural districts would be hit the hardest.
"They're trying to send a message," said Amaya Garcia, who oversees
education research at New America, a left-leaning think tank. "They don't
believe that taxpayer funding should be used for these children."
Umatilla School District in rural eastern Oregon -- with a sizable
population of migrant families and students learning English -- relies heavily
on federal funding for its after-school and summer school programs.
Superintendent Heidi Sipe says she is meeting with state officials soon to find
out if the district will have to plan an early end to summer school, an option
20% of students are using. Come this fall, if federal money stays frozen,
she'll have to lay off staff and eliminate after-school programs attended by
around half the district's students.
"It's an essential service in our community because we don't have any
licensed child care centers for school-age children," she said.
Sipe said it's particularly frustrating to deal with these funds being put
into limbo because the school district was in the middle of a five-year grant
period.
"It feels preventable," she said, "and it feels as though we could have done
a better job planning for America's children."
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