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First Post
a day ago
- Business
- First Post
'President's priorities': Trump administration holds back $7 bn school funds meant for learning, training
The administration offered little explanation for the delay, stating that the funds are under review and emphasising a commitment to ensuring taxpayer money is spent in line with the 'president's priorities', according to a report read more The Trump administration has withheld nearly $7 billion in federal education funding that supports after-school and summer programmes, English language learning, teacher training, and other essential services. According to The New York Times report, the funds were expected to be released by Tuesday. However, in an email sent on Monday, the US Department of Education informed states that the money would not be made available as scheduled, added the report. The administration offered minimal explanation, saying only that the funding is under review. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD No timeline was provided for when, or if, the funds would be released. A brief statement said the administration is 'committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president's priorities,' reported NYT. The frozen funds are not connected to the domestic policy bill that narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday, which includes separate cuts to various programmes. Move likely to face legal challenges 'It's catastrophic,' NYT quoted Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, a group that works to expand after-school services for students, as saying. She estimated that the roughly $1.3 billion in federal funding for after-school and summer programmes each year supports around 1.4 million students, primarily from low-income families, accounting for about 20% of all students enrolled in such programmes nationwide. According to the report, the decision is likely to face legal challenges and has already drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and teachers' unions, who argue it is unlawful. They note that the funds were appropriated by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in March as part of a larger funding package. 'This is lawless,' NYT quoted Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, as saying. The Trump administration has aggressively sought to shrink the federal role in education, even proposing to eliminate the Education Department, though only Congress has the power to do so. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the meantime, it has slashed staffing and funding across the board. Permanent cut in funds? Officials have hinted at plans to permanently eliminate the nearly $7 billion in frozen education funds, reported NYT. During a Senate hearing last week, White House budget director Russell Vought said the administration is exploring a process called 'rescission' to formally request Congress revoke the funds. Even without a congressional vote, the request would freeze the money until it eventually expires. 'No decision has been made,' Vought was quoted as saying. The freeze on education funds has left school districts scrambling just weeks before classes resume. The uncertainty threatens after-school programmes, support for English learners, teacher training, and mental health services. According to NYT report, in rural Umatilla, Oregon, Superintendent Heidi Sipe warned parents to make backup plans, noting her federally funded after-school programme runs until 5:30 pm but has no local alternatives. In Omaha, Nicole Everingham of Collective for Youth said reduced funding would force cuts in after-school slots and staffing across 42 public schools. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even a delayed release of funds could disrupt hiring and planning, leaving working families in limbo. 'It completely puts us in flux,' NYT quoted Everingham as saying. Districts like Oxnard, California, also rely on federal dollars to support non-English-speaking families. 'Without this outreach, families… could be cut off from schools,' Superintendent Ana DeGenna told NYT. Many of the affected programmes, like the 21st Century Community Learning Centers and Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, have enjoyed bipartisan support for decades. Still, most criticism of the freeze has come from Democrats. '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,' Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat who is the vice chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. With inputs from agencies STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Trump withholds nearly $8.9 billion for schools, with little explanation
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The withholding of dollars threw school district budgets into uncertainty, with only weeks to go before the start of school in many parts of the country. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has declined to release nearly US$7 billion (S$8.91 billion) in federal funding that helps pay for after-school and summer programmes, support for students learning English, teacher training and other services. The money was expected to be released by July 1. But in an email on June 30, the Education Department notified state education agencies that the money would not be available. The administration offered little explanation, saying only that the funds were under review. It gave no timeline for when, or if, the money would be released, saying instead that it was 'committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president's priorities.' The frozen funds are unrelated to the millions of dollars in cuts included in the domestic policy Bill that squeaked through the Senate on July 1. 'It's catastrophic,' said Ms Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, a group that works to expand after-school services for students. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US Senate approves divisive Trump spending Bill World Trump escalates feud with Musk, threatens Tesla, SpaceX support Singapore A second chance to excel: 3,800 private candidates taking O- and A-level exams in 2025 Multimedia Right on track: Meet the new JB-Singapore RTS Link train Singapore 'He fought till the end': Man who survived acid attack as a baby dies of cancer at 26 Business Binance to keep hundreds of staff in Singapore despite crackdown, sources say Opinion US strikes on Iran: The impact ripples on, from Baghdad to Beijing Asia Thai PM's suspension could spell end of Shinawatra clan's era of political dominance She estimated that the federal dollars for after-school and summer-school programs – about US$1.3 billion annually – support 1.4 million students, mostly lower income, representing about 20 per cent of all students in after-school programmes nationally. The move is likely to be challenged in court and has already been criticised as illegal by Democrats and teachers' unions, who emphasised that the money had been appropriated by Congress and was approved by President Donald Trump in March as part of a broader funding Bill. 'This is lawless,' said Ms Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. The administration has taken an aggressive approach to cutting back the federal government's role in education, including plans to eliminate the Education Department entirely. Though only Congress can abolish the department, the Trump administration has taken an axe to education staffing and funding more broadly as it seeks to whittle down the department. The administration has suggested that it may seek to eliminate the nearly US$7 billion in frozen funding. Mr Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week that the administration was considering ways to claw back the funding through a process known as rescission. The administration would formally ask lawmakers to claw back a set of funds it has targeted for cuts. Even if Congress fails to vote on the request, the president's timing would trigger a law that freezes the money until it ultimately expires. 'No decision has been made,' Mr Vought said. The withholding of dollars on July 1 threw school district budgets into uncertainty, with only weeks to go before the start of school in many parts of the country. Ms Heidi Sipe, the superintendent in Umatilla, Oregon, a low-income, rural district, said her district's after-school programme has traditionally gone until 4.45pm or 5.30pm, and was fully funded through federal dollars. She recently sent a note to parents urging them to make backup plans, though few exist in her community, where she said there is no YMCA or similar alternatives. In Omaha, Nebraska, Ms Nicole Everingham, who helps manage after-school funding for programmes at 42 public schools, said a loss of funding would force her group to consolidate the number of schools that can offer after-school care, and also mean fewer slots for students, because of staffing reductions. 'It completely puts us in flux,' said Ms Everingham, the development director for Collective for Youth, which helps coordinate after-school programming for about half of Omaha public schools. Even if the money comes through after a delay, she said, it could disrupt the ability to hire staff by the start of school in mid-August, creating chaos for working parents who depend on after-school programmes. Many school districts also rely on federal dollars to help non-English-speaking students and families, including training teachers and hiring translators. 'Without this outreach, families who do not speak English could be cut off from schools and the support system they need,' said Ms Ana DeGenna, the school district superintendent in Oxnard, California. Several of the federally funded programmes have been in place for decades. The 21st Century Community Learning Centres, which support before- and after-school programmes, were created in 1994 by federal legislation, and expanded six years later with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. Both measures, the first passed during a Democratic administration and the second under a Republican president, were approved by broad bipartisan majorities. One of the newest programmes, known as Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, has been in place for a decade, supporting many services for issues like mental health and school technology. That law that authorised those grants received broad bipartisan support, including from Representative Tim Walberg of Michigan and Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, both Republicans who are now the chairs of the education committees in their respective chambers. But criticism about cutting funding for these programmes has largely been limited to Democrats. '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 programmes or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can succeed,' Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat who is the vice- chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. NYTIMES
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
Trump Withholds Nearly $7 Billion for Schools, With Little Explanation
The Trump administration has declined to release nearly $7 billion in federal funding that helps pay for after-school and summer programs, support for students learning English, teacher training and other services. The money was expected to be released by Tuesday. But in an email on Monday, the Education Department notified state education agencies that the money would not be available. The administration offered little explanation, saying only that the funds were under review. It gave no timeline for when, or if, the money would be released, saying instead that it was 'committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president's priorities.' The frozen funds are unrelated to the millions of dollars in cuts included in the domestic policy bill that squeaked through the Senate on Tuesday. 'It's catastrophic,' said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, a group that works to expand after-school services for students. She estimated that the federal dollars for after-school and summer-school programs — about $1.3 billion annually — support 1.4 million students, mostly lower income, representing about 20 percent of all students in after-school programs nationally. The move is likely to be challenged in court and has already been criticized as illegal by Democrats and teachers' unions, who emphasized that the money had been appropriated by Congress and was approved by President Trump in March as part of a broader funding bill. 'This is lawless,' said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. The administration has taken an aggressive approach to cutting back the federal government's role in education, including plans to eliminate the Education Department entirely. Though only Congress can abolish the department, the Trump administration has taken an ax to education staffing and funding more broadly as it seeks to whittle down the department. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Vox
27-03-2025
- General
- Vox
The problem of spring break
is a senior correspondent for Vox, where she covers American family life, work, and education. Previously, she was an editor and writer at the New York Times. She is also the author of three novels, including the New York Times bestseller Outlawed. This story originally appeared in Kids Today, Vox's newsletter about kids, for everyone. Sign up here for future editions. Over the next few weeks, millions of kids around the country will come home from school, toss their backpacks in a corner, and begin an annual ritual that can be fun, relaxing, stressful, and confusing all at the same time. I speak, of course, of spring break — a phrase that has historically meant one thing to beach-bound college students, and quite another to families of younger kids, facing down a week (or sometimes two) when schools are closed and work is decidedly not. Summer has its own challenges, for kids and adults alike. But spring break, like the countless other interruptions that pockmark school calendars, can be even harder to plan for. Fewer camps are open; summer school is months away. Some families go skiing or take a cruise, but amid rising prices, those options are out of reach for more and more parents. For many families, 'you kind of cobble it together on your own,' Lauren Smith Brody, CEO of the Fifth Trimester, a workplace gender equality consultancy, told me — which means a lot of stress for parents and, often, a lot of screen time for kids. It's not just an inconvenience — days off of school can mean days of hunger for kids from food-insecure families, who rely on school breakfast and lunch to get through the week. And the spike in juvenile crime between the hours of 3 and 6 pm on weekdays suggests that for some kids, unsupervised time can be dangerous. Some school districts and afterschool programs offer free or low-cost spring break camps — a way to 'reinforce some of the learning that's going on in a way that feels like the kids are having fun and having a break,' as Jodi Grant, executive director of the nonprofit Afterschool Alliance, put it. But those programs were underfunded even before President Trump ordered the closure of the Education Department, which administers federal funding for afterschool programs. For now, spring break is yet another reminder of the mismatch between American work culture and the needs of human life — for relaxation, for connection, for something to shake up what can sometimes be a draining daily routine. At their best, Grant said, spring break programs for kids are 'just a chance to do things differently.' If you don't have a school-aged child, you might not realize how many days off kids have in addition to summer break. In New York City, where I live, it's about two dozen, which includes winter break, mid-winter break, spring break, and a number of religious and other holidays in between. School breaks are intended, at least in part, to give families and staff time to observe said holidays (in many districts, spring break encompasses Easter, Passover, or both). Spring break, in particular, is a popular time for travel, with 48 percent of families with children planning a trip during that period, according to a 2023 TransUnion survey. But that still leaves more than half who stay put (it's not that easy for one or two adults to get a full week off work at a time that's neither summer nor the winter holidays). When kids are off but parents are working, the options are somewhat limited. Some camps operate during spring break, but the cost, which can run to hundreds of dollars a week, puts them out of reach for many families. Then there's the cobble-it-together approach, with parents (and sometimes other family members like grandparents) splitting up care and work as best they can. 'There's a lot of juggling,' Brody said, and 'nobody ever gets any rest.' Kids, however, do really need breaks. Take it from a student at John Jay High School in Lewisboro, New York, who wrote in the school paper in 2022 that 'There are so many responsibilities on high school students' plate, whether they must do homework, study, work, play a sport or activity, take SAT or ACT tests, look at or visit colleges, take AP exams, etc. Having a break in the school year could help a student relax and feel okay.' Experts agree that there's a reason kids don't go to class 40 hours a week, 365 days a year. Longer school days have been tried in some districts, and both kids and teachers get exhausted, Grant said. 'It's also really important for a lot of kids to have an environment that's not graded or judged or prescribed.' So what are families supposed to do? In Philadelphia, one answer is Spring Break Camp, a free, full-day program operating at 22 schools in the district. Some publicly funded afterschool programs offer spring break and other day-off camps as well, Grant said. These programs give kids a chance to hang out with new friends and new educators, to have more choice than they typically do during the school day, and to sample activities from yoga to weightlifting to building electric cars, Grant said. Many afterschool programs also provide snacks or meals for kids. But publicly funded programs often have limited space, and private ones can be expensive. Around the country, there are nearly 25 million kids whose parents want them to be in afterschool programs, but who don't have access, largely because of cost, Grant said. Expanding access to free or low-cost afterschool programs would help families deal with the three to four hours every weekday in which parents work but schools are out, as my colleague Rachel Cohen has written. It would also provide a solution for those two dozen days every school year that leave many parents scrambling for care — and many kids bored on their iPads all day long. However, federal funding for afterschool programs has not kept up with inflation, Grant said. The Trump administration and DOGE have not cut support for these programs, but that support is administered through the Education Department, which Trump has instructed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle. 'We're feeling the same uncertainty as everyone else,' Grant said. In the absence of robust federal funding, some states, like California, are stepping up by funding afterschool programs out of their own budgets. Employers, too, can help by 'fostering a culture that invites people to be open about their caregiving needs,' Brody said. There is, of course, a core problem at the heart of the spring break conundrum: as Brody put it, the amount of paid vacation American parents typically get (which hovers around 11-15 days for all but the most senior employees) 'is just so out of line with the number of weeks that there aren't school.' You can solve this problem with camps, or you could solve it with more paid time off. The latter, of course, feels unattainable in a time of worker precarity and a resurgent grind culture. But as kids know well, everyone deserves a break sometimes. What I'm reading The Trump administration has reportedly cut funding for a program that provides legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant children, potentially forcing them to represent themselves in immigration court. Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced 'Operation Stork Speed' to improve the safety of baby formula. It's not bad to devote more attention to formula, experts say — but the Trump administration's cuts at the FDA could hamper safety efforts. Evereden, once a baby brand, is now trying to give Gen Alpha tweens what they want. And apparently what they want are body mists. My little kid and I have been reading Fox and His Friends, originally published in 1982 and now a time capsule of 20th-century child-rearing norms. Fox, a school-aged child/animal, is tasked with babysitting his younger sister for an entire day with no adult input whatsoever. He is terrible at his job and eventually allows her to scale a telephone pole, then bribes her for her silence with ice cream. I am not sure if this is an argument for giving kids more independence, or the opposite. From my inbox Last week, I asked for your spring break experiences. Reader Kareen H had less-than-fond memories of spring at the YMCA as a child: 'I NEVER wanted to be at the Y.' However, Kareen did enjoy field trips, adding that 'I won 'best singer' award, because I was singing to myself in the Y van, coming back from some field trip.' I have no memory of what I did during spring break as a child, but I am positive I have never won a 'best singer' award in any context. As always, thanks for your messages and get in touch any time at
