Almost $400 million in federal K–12 education funding, normally released to Florida on July 1, is being withheld from students and classrooms, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Despite Congress passing a continuing resolution in March—which President Trump signed extending previous funding levels through fiscal year 2025—the Department is taking a first step toward “impoundment,” the illegal withholding of money appropriated by Congress to fund federal programs and activities.
Public schools and the U.S. Department of Education exist because every child, in every state and neighborhood has the right to a world class public education that inspires them and allows them to grow and succeed.
All students benefit from programs run by the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE), especially lower-income students and their families in rural, suburban, and urban communities, students and families who qualify for federal grants or loans to receive career training or attend 2- and 4-year colleges, and students with disabilities.
The ability to receive support in our professions, the ability for students to learn and succeed, and our collective ability to create safe communities will all be impacted by the dismantling of the U.S. DOE.
- before and after school programs (on July 18, some after schools funds were released according to news outlets),
- English language learning programs,
- Professional development for educators and district specific programs to help onboard and support new educators,
The bottom line is that withholding these funds hurts our students.
We are calling on Congress to act now: stop the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and immediately release the federal funds our students and schools urgently need.
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What programs does the U.S. DOE support in Florida?
Title I directs money to schools with high concentrations of students living in poverty and provides support. Support provided through Title I, such as reading specialists and smaller class sizes, could be decimated if there are no accountability measures or guardrails to the money. More than 1.4 million students participate in Florida’s Title I programs.
The Education Department also administers Federal Student Aid, such as Pell Grants, federal student loans, and loan repayment and forgiveness programs. Thirty percent of U.S. college students rely on these federal loans to pay their tuition. Students and families could lose this support, leading to more students dropping out, fewer choices, and fewer options for families. $2.2 billion in Pell Grants have helped 459,000 students in Florida.
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights protects students against discrimination based on race, gender, and disability. If the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice is moved out of the DOE, it would severely weaken its ability to protect students against discrimination.
