Trump unfreezes $1 billion in school funding after states sued

The Herald Scotland

7 days ago

A spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget confirmed that the Republican administration's review of the program is over, states will receive the funding and the money cannot be used in violation of the president's executive orders.
The money is only a fraction, however, of the more than $6 billion in education funding the Trump administration put on hold on June 30, creating financial uncertainty for many districts. Though schools only receive a relatively small amount of money from the federal government each year, the delay hindered administrators' budgeting ahead of the fall. It also jeopardized programs families rely on, including for adult learners and students whose parents are seasonal workers.
Read more: Billions in federal funding for schools on hold
On July 14, two dozen blue states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit to restore all of the paused funding.
Read more: Trump paused funding for after-school programs. States are suing.
Two days later, 10 Senate Republicans expressed frustration over the frozen money. In a rare break with the White House, a group that included Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins of Maine and former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky sent a letter to Russell Vought, who heads the Office of Management and Budget, saying the decision was "contrary to President Trump's goal of returning K-12 education to the states."
"Withholding these funds will harm students, families, and local economies," they wrote.
Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at [e-mail]. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.