Congress, States, and Stakeholders Respond to Delay of $7B in ED Funds

The delayed distribution of nearly $7 billion in federal education funds impacting K-12 and adult education has drawn bipartisan criticism from Congress, state attorneys general, and education stakeholders nationwide. This week, 600 nonpartisan organizations, including CEC, urged the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Education to restore the funds immediately. Affected programs include: Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A); 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B); Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A); English Language Acquisition (Title III-A); Migrant Education (Title I-C); and Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants).  

Meanwhile, 25 states and Washington, D.C. have sued the Administration, calling the delayed distribution of these funds arbitrary and unlawful, and citing significant harm to school systems, students, and families as the academic year approaches. Lawmakers from both parties have also demanded action, with Democrats and a group of 10 Republican Senators sending letters pressing for immediate distribution. While none of these funds are specifically targeted to special education, they will impact staffing levels in programs where people with disabilities participate, and they will impact school budgets, which harm all students. 

This afternoon, the Administration announced that approximately $1.3 billion in 21st Century Community Learning Centers funds (for after-school and summer school programs) would be released to states, with unspecified "guardrails." The fate of the other funds remains unclear.

Read the advocacy letter here.  

Read the court filing here. 

Read the Republican letter here. 

Read the Democratic letter here.