Department of Education releases billions in frozen grants to states as districts prepare school budgets

The Department of Education intends to release a hold on billions in grant funding to schools after a near monthslong pause in revenue for school districts, the department told states Friday.

At the end of June, the Trump administration froze a handful of grants that paid for teacher training, migrant education, English language acquisition and extra learning materials in K-12 education to ensure the spending was in line with the president’s priorities.

Last week, the department released funding on $1.3 billion worth of grants that covered summer, before-school and after-school programs across the nation. On Friday, they followed suit in releasing $4.8 billion worth of grants in other areas.

Washington state stood to lose $137 million in these grants, according to the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“This had the potential to put several school districts in financial distress, cause educators and school staff to lose jobs that are essential to student learning, and limit the core services that students typically receive and rely on to help them be successful in school,” wrote state Superintendent Chris Reykdal in a statement.

In mid-July, Washington joined a 23-state lawsuit against the Trump administration for freezing the funds, which Congress previously approved.

In the meantime, some Spokane-area schools drafted their budgets while unsure if they should expect the funds to continue some existing programs or employ certain staff.

At West Valley School District, Chief Financial Officer Ayesha Horton assumed they wouldn’t see around $170,000 the coming school year under the frozen grants. This paid for staff training, a mentor position for teachers, supplemental learning materials for students and a summer camp for kids in the district.

West Valley enrolls around 3,500 students in the Millwood and Spokane Valley area, employing 416 staff at 12 schools and learning centers. The district collects $4 million in federal funding out of their total $60.5 million revenue, according to the 2024-25 budget.

The lion’s share, around $140,000, of the recently thawed grants went to teacher training at West Valley, including a staff member to mentor teachers. That staff member retired.

It’s unclear if the district will fill this position. Horton wrote in an email that the district “will review program needs and explore potential short-term solutions until more stable resources become available” due to uncertainty around funding after next school year.

Another approximate $15,000 supports English language education in the district and another $20,000 pays for a science, technology, engineering, arts and math summer camp attended by 116 kids in June, Horton told the board.

The years ahead

While school leaders are breathing easier with the knowledge that these congressionally approved grants are secured for next school year, the following year could see deep cuts in federal allocations. The Trump administration’s suggested budget includes cuts of around 70% of funding in several areas, including English language acquisition, job training programs, technology, drug-free programs, class size reduction, physical education, among many other purposes. Cuts could total around $100 million each year in the state, according to OSPI.

In West Valley, that’s another $140,000 on the line next school year.

Larger districts with more kids enrolled stand to lose more, according to OSPI estimates based on 2023-2024 funding data.

Spokane Public Schools would see cuts to the tune of $2.5 million, or around $88 per student enrolled. The budget proposes $500,000 cuts in Central Valley, or $35 per student. The Mead School District has $467,000 on the line at around $45 per student. Cheney’s budget would be cut by $170,000, or $31 per student. East Valley would lose $156,000 in the suggested cuts, totaling $45 per student.