Summer and after-school programs at risk under Trump's K-12 funding hold
The big picture: The Department of Education's funding delay has exacerbated the uncertainty for after-school, summer and other programs, leaving schools in limbo, advocates and policy experts say.
The Education Department said in a last-minute notice that the funds would not be released while the programs were under review, according to the School Superintendents Association.
By the numbers: An estimated $6.2 billion in K-12 funds across five programs remains unavailable, according to the Learning Policy Institute, which conducts research to improve education policies.
That includes funding for after-school and summer learning through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, money to support migratory children, educator development funds and more.
Zoom in: The Department of Education referred Axios' questions for this story to the Office of Management and Budget. An OMB spokesperson said no decisions have been made amid "an ongoing programmatic review of education funding."
The spokesperson pointed to initial findings that they said "show that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda."
Threat level: If unreleased 21st Century Community Learning Center funds — the chief stream for academic enrichment outside of school hours — remains blocked, the "the fallout will be swift and devastating," Boys and Girls Clubs of America President and CEO Jim Clark said in a statement.
Up to 926 Boys and Girls Clubs could be forced to shut their doors, he said, and club sites and camps "could shutter mid-season — upending care for working parents and leaving kids without critical safety nets."
Zoom out: Jodi Grant, the executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, described the withholding of funds as "a stunning betrayal," as states and territories had already committed money to after-school and summer learning programs.
"Short term, [there are] a lot of very anxious programs and very anxious parents, because they don't know if their kids are going to be able to have after-school, but that will very quickly turn into programs reducing how many kids they can serve and or closing their doors," she told Axios.
But she said "it's a long-term impact, no matter how you cut it," noting that Trump's 2026 budget proposed no funds for 21st CCLC, instead opting for a K-12 Simplified Funding Plan.
Even if the funds do come back, she said, it will be much harder to recover, with ripple effects echoing throughout communities where such programs are necessary for children and working families.
She emphasized that after-school programs have broad bipartisan support, and a majority of voters say they're a necessity for their communities.
21st CCLC serves nearly 1.4 million youth and their families through grants awarded by state education agencies, according to the Afterschool Alliance.
What they're saying: Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement that education funding uncertainty has prompted districts to delay hiring and other initiatives.
"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 after-school programs or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can succeed," Murray said.
Catch up quick: Advocates and educators were already concerned about summer and after-school programs being disrupted by cuts at the Department of Education and AmeriCorps.
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