Trump administration releases frozen federal K-12 funds amid pressure

According to media reports, the Trump administration will release the remaining $5.5 billion in delayed federal K-12 funding. This decision comes after students, educators, and school leaders expressed concerns over the freeze that lasted nearly a month. The delay was seen as a threat to summer and afterschool programs, school staffing, and academic supports for the upcoming school year.

The Department of Education initially announced on June 30 that it would withhold almost $6.9 billion in funding through a brief email to state education associations. However, following bipartisan pressure, the administration stated on July 18 that it would release $1.3 billion in grants for summer and after-school programs if states provided new assurances regarding fund usage.

NEA President Becky Pringle responded to these developments by stating: “Playing games with students’ futures has real-world consequences. School districts in every state have been scrambling to figure out how they will continue to meet student needs without this vital federal funding, and many students in parts of the country have already headed back to school. These reckless funding delays have undermined planning, staffing, and support services at a time when schools should be focused on preparing students for success.”

Pringle further criticized the administration's actions as part of a broader pattern of undermining public education: “Sadly, this is part of a broader pattern by this administration of undermining public education—starving it of resources, sowing distrust, and pushing privatization at the expense of the nation’s most vulnerable students." She added that NEA members will "continue to advocate for stable, transparent, and timely support for every public school."

The National Education Association represents more than 3 million educational professionals across various sectors.