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July 1, 2025

Education Department weaponizes Title I funds against non-compliant states

CalMatters
Newsweek
Tim Walker
Wusf 89.7 Fm
Governing Magazine
+3

Trump freezes $7 billion in school funding across 33 states.

On June 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education notified states it would withhold nearly $7 billion in congressionally approved Kā€“12 grants scheduled for release on July 1.

The freeze covers Title IIā€A professional development grants ($2.2 billion), before- and after-school programs ($1.4 billion), Title III English learner services ($890 million), migrant education, and other supports across 33 states.

California alone stands to lose about $811 million in federal education funding as a result of the impoundment.

Roughly half of the Department of Education workforce has been cut, and the National Center for Education Statistics staff was reduced from 100 to 3 employees.

Multiple states have filed lawsuits characterizing the withholding of congressionally approved funds as ā€œillegal impoundmentā€ that violates the constitutional separation of powers.

šŸ“‹Public PolicyšŸ“œConstitutional LawšŸŽ“Education

Test Your Knowledge

10
Q1

Federal law typically requires congressional approval before presidents can withhold funds appropriated by Congress.

Q2

Voters have rejected school-voucher ballot measures in how many consecutive referendum attempts?

Q3

The Trump administration withheld federal education funding totaling approximately:

Q4

California alone lost approximately how much in federal education funding from this freeze?

Q5

Analysis shows that over half of voucher-tax-credit dollars go to families with annual incomes exceeding:

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People, bills, and sources

What you can do

1

Contact your U.S. Representative or Senator to express your views on federal education appropriations and urge oversight of executive impoundments.

2

Track appropriations bills, rescission proposals, and related committee hearings on Congress.gov to stay informed about federal funding decisions.

3

Review the constitutional principle of separation of powersā€”especially provisions on impoundmentā€”and follow pending lawsuits via federal court or Supreme Court dockets.

4

Attend or submit comments at public budget hearings held by your state education agency or school board to advocate for maintaining critical programs.

5

Consult nonpartisan organizations (e.g., American Civil Liberties Union at aclu.org or the National Education Association at nea.org) for analyses of funding authority and student-equity issues.