(The Center Square) — A previously announced $6.8 billion educational funding freeze is part of an ongoing review, the Trump administration said in a clarification.
The U.S. Department of Education Monday emailed state departments of education across the country and stated that the department would not issue its Grant Award Notification for programs on Tuesday, before completing its review. Each year on July 1, states receive their federal education funds Congress has allocated for the upcoming school year.
Outraged by the abrupt funding freeze, Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, posted on X stating this will hurt vulnerable members of the community.
“The U.S. Department of Education’s decision to withhold critical school funding — money allocated by Congress — will hurt the most vulnerable members of our community,” Carvalho wrote. “Here at Los Angeles Unified, we will stand together in our commitment to serve all of our students, and I will do everything in my power to protect our students from these devastating cuts.”
Yet many in the comments section blame the district for the funding freeze.
“You and the board did this. Where is the accountability? Parents have been telling you for years to focus on education. Instead, you keep focusing on salaries and benefits,” someone identified simply as “Vern” commented.
The Office of Management and Budget at the White House told The Center Square that education departments over the years have misused grant programs and that no official cuts have been made.
“This is an ongoing programmatic review of education funding. Initial findings have shown that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,” an OMB spokesman said. “In one case, NY public schools used English Language Acquisition funds to promote illegal immigrant advocacy organizations.
“In another, Washington state used funds to direct illegal immigrants towards scholarships intended for American students. In yet another, school Improvement funds were used to conduct a seminar on ‘queer resistance in the arts,’” the spokesman said. “As stated before, this is an ongoing programmatic review, and no decisions have been made yet.”
In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, along with other school officials, called the funding freeze an illegal action.
“We won’t stand for it. It will not happen on our watch,” Thurmond said. “The dollars that the president and his administration have threatened to take back have already been approved by Congress. This is an illegal action.”
The California Department of Justice explained it won’t take legal action until there is further clarification from the U.S. Department of Education.
“While we are unable to comment on potential legal action or strategy, the California Department of Justice is aware of this issue, and we are seeking clarification from the federal government,” the state DOJ told The Center Square. “As always, we are committed to protecting California students’ access to quality education and the funding that supports them.”