Nearly $7 billion in previously approved K–12 federal funding for schools across the nation has been delayed without a detailed explanation, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) announced on Monday.
In a July 1 statement, Murray said that the Trump administration has also proposed to eliminate several programs in the 2026 fiscal year budget, ranging from English language instruction for migrant children to academic enrichment grants, after-school programs, and adult literacy initiatives.
Those items are supposed to be funded under the current budget before the upcoming academic year begins next month, she said.
“Today, billions of dollars that Congress has already provided to support students across America should be going out the door—but President Trump is blocking these investments and putting school districts in every zip code in a bind with the new school year just weeks away,” Murray said in the statement.
“President Trump and [Office of Management and Budget Director] Russ Vought need to stop sabotaging our students’ futures and get these resources out the door. Local school districts can’t afford to wait out lengthy court proceedings to get the federal funding they’re owed—nor can they make up the shortfall, especially not at the drop of a pin.
“Every day that this funding is held up is a day that school districts are forced to worry about whether they’ll have to cut back on afterschool programs or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can succeed.”
Murray noted the shortfall by state, with California the most at $927 million, and Wyoming the least at $25 million.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon has proposed cutting her department’s 2026 budget by 15 percent, or about $12 billion. During a recent appropriations committee hearing, she told legislators that the most vital K–12 programs, including funding for low-income schools and special needs children, won’t be affected.
Democrats mainly took issue with cuts to the TRIO outreach programs, which are designed to put low-income children on a pathway to college.
McMahon also noted that mental health grant funding is now handled by the Department of Health and Human Services.
McMahon has already cut half of her staff and pledged to work with President Donald Trump to dismantle the Department of Education and move its funding and programming to states or other federal agencies.
The American Federation of Teachers union issued a July 1 statement calling the funding delay “lawless.”
“These are congressionally approved programs for this year, and the Trump administration is trying to defund education unilaterally through government overreach,” Randi Weingarten, the organization’s president, said in a July 1 statement.
“The administration does not have the right to starve children because of its ideology.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Department of Education for comment.
