(Updated to include how the freeze affects school districts in Olathe, Wichita, Shawnee Mission, and Kansas City)
The federal government is withholding more than $42 million from Kansas schools that would pay for professional development for educators, programs for improving student achievement, after-school learning programs and migrant education.
Deputy Education Commissioner Frank Harwood on Tuesday detailed how Kansas would be affected by the Trump’s administration’s announcement last week that it would withhold more than $6 billion in grants to ensure they coincide with the president’s priorities.
A spokesperson for the president’s Office of Management and Budget told The Washington Post last week that it needed to determine whether the grants were used by school districts to fund a “radical leftwing agenda.”
The spokesperson told the newspaper that the Trump administration was examining whether any money was used for things such as giving scholarships to immigrants living in the country illegally or teaching LGBTQ subjects.
Appearing before the Kansas State Board of Education late Tuesday afternoon, Harwood listed $42.9 million in grants that would be withheld from Kansas that officials said would cause “acute challenges” for rural school districts.
“We don’t know when the review of these and other programs will be completed or if we will receive the already approved funding,” Education Commissioner Randy Watson said.
Watson said the Education Department was notified June 30 that money for certain grant programs would be withheld.
Typically, Watson said the department would be notified by July 1 that the funds were being awarded for the upcoming school year.
The money had already been appropriated by Congress and signed into law last March.
Here are the programs that will be affected by the cut, according to the State Department of Education:
- $6.2 million from the Migrant Education Program, which helps migratory children to meet academic standards and graduate with a high school diploma.
- $15.8 million from professional development grants that are intended to improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals and other school leaders.
- $4.8 million from a program intended to help English language learners.
- $8.3 million from a program that’s intended to promote student academic achievement.
- $7.8 million from the 21st Century Community Learning Center program, which provides grants to school districts and community learning centers for after-school programs serving students in low-performing schools.
Television station KSNW, for instance, reported that Garden City schools would lose $1 million, including $497,000 for migrant education, $251,000 for professional development and $223,000 for English language learners.
The Olathe School District reported having about $1 million withheld, including $80,000 for migrant children education, $452,248 for professional development, $368,851 for English Language learners and $130,627 for mental health services for students.
The Shawnee Mission District reported having about $1 million withheld, including $40,500 for migrant education, $545,075 for professional development, $255,938 for English Language learners and $151,206 for student support.
“These funds support programs that are critical to student success, particularly some our our most vulnerable youth,” Shawnee Mission School Board member Mary Sinclair posted on social media.
“Unfortunately, this action,” she said, “shifts the financial burden onto local taxpayers.”
.The Wichita School District said it would lose about $6.3 million because of the pause in grant funding, including $293,000 for migrant students, about $1 million for English Language Learners and and $3.6 million for professional development and student achievement.
The district said it intends to use reserve funds to par for salaries associated with the programs whose funding is currently paused.
In Kansas City, Kansas, school officials there said the freeze could mean a loss of about $4.9 million in funding, including $2 million for after-school programs and $1.1 million for professional development.
“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,” the district said in a statement posted on its website.
Last week, Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes denounced the decision to withhold the grant money from the states.
“Kansans are proud of our long history of strong public schools. The impoundment of federal funds without clear explanation and rationale – funds that were approved by Congress in March – is irresponsible,” Sykes said in a statement.
“This move is also cruel as it will impact our most vulnerable populations,” Sykes said.
“Strong, well-funded public schools benefit everyone. Our school districts must be able to stay focused on preparing Kansas kids for their future, instead of having to – yet again – manage politically motivated distractions,” she said.
