Billions in grants for summer school, English instruction delayed during Trump administration review

Winnipeg Free Press

17 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is withholding more than $6 billion in federal grants for afterschool 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 afterschool 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.
Programs that rely on the funding 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 '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 immediately respond to a request for comment.
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.
A national organization for afterschool programs called the department's action a 'stunning betrayal.'
'Withholding these funds will cause lasting harm to students and families, and to our education system, our future workforce, and our economy,' said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance.
The six grant programs under review includes one known as 21st Century Community Learning Centers. It's the primary federal funding source for afterschool and summer learning programs and supports more than 10,000 local programs nationwide, according to the 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.
California's education agency said it was notified Monday that it wouldn't be receiving money from those programs.
'Trump is illegally impounding billions of dollars appropriated by Congress to serve students this fiscal year,' Tony Thurmond, California's state superintendent, said in a statement. 'The Administration is punishing children when states refuse to cater to Trump's political ideology.'
The administration had signaled its desire to cut much of the money in an April letter to Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
In that letter, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said cutting money for teaching kids to speak English would help 'end overreach from Washington and restore the rightful role of State oversight in education.'
'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.'
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