The Trump administration is withholding more than $6 billion in federal money for after-school and summer programs, throwing organizations and schools into chaos.
The federal grants were supposed to be distributed Tuesday, but The Associated Press reported a memo went out from the Department of Education saying the money, which also covered some English language instruction, adult literacy and other efforts, is on hold.
The Hill has reached out to the department for comment.
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Groups that help administer these programs, teachers unions and Democrats are all condemning the delay, which the department implemented in order to review if the money is in line with the administration’s priorities.
“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,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in a statement to The New York Times.
The department said “decisions have not yet been made” on grants for next school year and it did not give an expected timeline of when grants could be released, according to the AP.
“This funding supports the families of hardworking Americans who count on these services. With Independence Day days away, Club sites and camps could shutter mid-season — upending care for working parents and leaving kids without critical safety nets,” said Boys and Girls Club President Jim Clark.
“Every moment of delay puts more kids at risk. This isn’t a partisan issue — it’s about putting kids first,” he added.
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The fight is almost certain to go to the courts as opponents are already decrying the actions as illegal.
“This is lawless. These are congressionally approved programs for this year, and the Trump administration is trying to defund education unilaterally through government overreach. The administration does not have the right to starve children because of its ideology,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
The decision comes on the heels of other Trump funding cuts to education research, teaching training programs and mental health services for students.
