State officials and teacher union leaders are struggling to respond after President Donald Trump froze more than $6 billion in federal K-12 education funding for the upcoming school year on Tuesday. Critics argue this action will deliver another devastating blow to schools, which already face severe challenges following massive cuts and layoffs at the Department of Education earlier this year that sparked widespread concerns about the future of public education in the United States.
The Trump administration informed school officials that it is holding back funding normally distributed on July 1 for essential services including reading and math support, summer and after-school programs, and assistance for migrant students and English learners.
California and Texas, the nation’s two largest states, will experience the greatest funding losses from this freeze, though every state will feel the impact if officials don’t release the funds immediately.
The National Education Association (NEA), America’s largest labor union, warned that schools may need to cut educator salaries or implement layoffs—decisions that could increase classroom sizes and destabilize this woman-dominated profession. NEA President Becky Pringle denounced the freeze as “outrageous and unconscionable.”
“Withholding billions in promised federal education funding that students need and states had planned to use to support children in their states is a cruel betrayal of students, especially those who rely on critical support services,” Pringle said in a statement. “Schools are already grappling with severe teacher shortages, burnout, and under-resourced classrooms, and here comes the federal government ripping resources away from public schools.”
Pringle explained that withholding federal funding represents part of the Trump administration’s ongoing pattern of weakening public education by depriving it of essential resources while promoting private and religious schools that don’t face requirements to admit the most vulnerable students, particularly those with learning disabilities or special needs or who come from marginalized groups based on their race, religion or gender identity.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), stated that Trump has targeted public education since taking office, characterizing his funding freeze as an “illegal” and ideologically-driven scheme to defund education. She emphasized that Congress has already approved the affected programs.
The Trump administration “has delayed disbursements of billions in desperately needed federal funds for student services and instruction, as the Education Department weighs whether the money will be spent according to Trump’s ‘priorities,'” Weingarten said. “This is another illegal usurpation of the authority of the Congress. Plus, it directly harms the children in our nation.”
Weingarten explained that K-12 public school leaders across the country now face uncertainty about what services they can provide or even who they can hire, instead of preparing for the upcoming school year.
Tony Thurmond, California’s superintendent of public instruction, calculated that the Trump administration is withholding roughly $1 billion from the Golden State. He stated that the administration failed to provide legal justification for holding back the funds.
“The administration is punishing children for the sole reason that states refuse to cater to Trump’s political ideology,” Thurmond said. “The administration is withholding funds that employ vital school staff who provide critical resources and supports for learning for all students. Every child will feel the impact of this disruption delivered shortly before the start of the school year, when our students, educators, and families should be anticipating the year ahead and making plans to support our children’s learning and growth.”
He pointed out that California has previously pursued legal action against the Trump administration and stands ready to take similar steps now to ensure it can serve public school students in the state.
Based on analysis from the Learning Policy Institute, the Texas AFT calculates that the Lone Star State will lose $660.8 million unless officials release the federal funds soon. As Texas faces a severe teacher shortage, the program that will suffer the most supports effective instruction, including professional development and recruitment/retention efforts for educators in the state.
