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.”
HIGHLY DIVERSE and impoverished districts in Kansas’ urban cores will bear the brunt of programs being defunded, along with small rural districts that serve many students whose parents are migrant workers, Haas said.
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, one of the poorest and most diverse districts in the state, said in a statement Wednesday that the district is poised to lose approximately $4.9 million in funding — much of which has already been committed to staff salaries and benefits.
“Public schools across the country depend on federal funding to help meet the needs of their students — and Kansas City, Kansas, is no exception,” school officials said in a statement sent to parents.
“This funding pause affects programs that directly support some of our most vulnerable students — including those from low-income families, English language learners, and students with disabilities,” school officials said.
Federal officials say those programs have been misused.
The Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, said last week that an initial review found that some schools used grant money to support immigrants in the country illegally and promote LGBTQ+ inclusion.
IN AN EMAIL statement to The Star, Gov. Laura Kelly said she’s “shocked” by the decision not to release the nearly $43 million in K-12 funding.
“This cut harms Kansas schools and students, particularly in our rural areas,” Kelly said. “Kansas teachers should be focused on preparing for the upcoming school year instead of being forced to navigate this unwarranted cut to funding.”
Kelly continued: “Kansas State Legislative leadership should use their influence to protect STEM education, career counseling, and after-school programs.”
Trump administration officials say decisions about whether individual grants should be released or permanently withheld have not been made yet.
What programs would lose funding?
