Unions, Community Help Restore Billions of Dollars for Public Education
School districts in Ohio and across the country will now be receiving billions of dollars that were being withheld by the Trump administration, funds local public education workers and supporters said are critically needed as the new school year approaches.
The Trump administration halted distribution of $6.8 billion in funds allocated by Congress in March, though $1.4 billion was unfrozen for one of the U.S. Department of Education’s grant programs earlier this month. On Friday afternoon, the White House reportedly announced it will release the rest of the funds due to schools.
The news comes after Ohio school districts, pro-public education organizations and hundreds of individuals signed on to a letter on July 21 urging state and congressional leaders to help release federal funds.
“This funding is not hypothetical – they are federal dollars already allocated by Congress,” said Dr. Christina Collins, executive director of Honesty for Ohio Education, in a statement. “The withholding of these necessary funds harms children, educators and school communities every day it is delayed, undermining educational progress.”
The federal monies can be used for school districts with low-income families, after-school programs and other educational services, to provide students with “significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps,” according to the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce website.