Playing politics with school funding is unacceptable.
“An abrupt decision to hold back millions of dollars in federal funding for Kansas schools threatens to make it more difficult for some students to learn English and for poor districts to provide after-school activities. The funding freeze, which will also affect programs designed to improve student achievement and help recruit and retain teachers, comes as part of the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on schools that it says are promoting ‘a radical left-wing agenda.’ The Department of Education has indefinitely delayed almost $43 million in grant funding for Kansas schools as part of a nearly $7 billion funding freeze for schools across the country, Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson told state school board members Tuesday.
“‘We don’t know if we’ll get this money back,’ said Melanie Haas, a state school board member whose district includes much of eastern Wyandotte County and northeast Johnson County. ‘I think what people really need to understand about this is that it’s a disproportionate hit on a lot of communities that are underserved and a lot of subgroups that are underserved.’
“Federal funding for the frozen programs, which was approved by Congress in March, is normally disbursed to state departments of education, which then distribute money to local school districts.
The biggest grant payment for Kansas public schools currently on hold is a $15.8 million allocation for professional development training that districts provide teachers and administrators. Schools have used the money to recruit and retain educators during the state’s ongoing teacher shortage. Also on hold is a $8.3 million grant payment for a program that promotes academic achievement, digital literacy and technology usage. So is a $7.8 million grant for before- and after-school programs, including academic enrichment and tutoring in high-poverty and low-performing schools. Over $2 million of Kansas’ disbursement was set to go to KCK public schools. Federal education officials also froze $6.2 million in Kansas funding for a program that helps support students of migrant parents whose seasonal agricultural jobs require them to relocate often. Rounding out the withheld funds is $4.8 million for a program that helps teach students whose first language isn’t English.
“’This is also a civil rights issue because civil rights laws require that school districts make sure that those who are learning English still have access to school,’ said Haas, the state school board member. ‘The districts will continue to be on the hook from the letter of the federal law with or without the federal funding.’
“The five districts that responded painted a dire picture of what defunding could mean…’Much of this funding is already committed to staff salaries and benefits — which makes this freeze especially challenging,’ school district officials said in their message to parents. ‘If the freeze continues, we will be forced to reallocate other district funds to cover the shortfall, which may place strain on other programs and also eliminate services for students.’”
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Originally posted to Facebook on 7/14/2025.