Pa. programs at risk under Trump's K-12 funding hold
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Pennsylvania could lose roughly $210 million in federal education funding that was expected to be accessible on July 1 but has yet to be released by the Trump administration.
Why it matters: The funds support teacher training, enrichment courses, summer and after-school programs — including the Boys and Girls Club — and services for English learners.
The big picture: The Department of Education's funding delay has exacerbated the uncertainty for after-school, summer and other programs, leaving schools in limbo, advocates and policy experts say.
- The Education Department said in a last-minute notice that the funds would not be released while the programs were under review, per the School Superintendents Association.
By the numbers: The figure represents 13.4% of the Keystone State's K-12 funding.
Zoom out: An estimated $6.2 billion in K-12 funds across five programs nationwide remains unavailable, per the Learning Policy Institute, which conducts research to improve education policies.
- That includes funding for after-school and summer learning through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, money to support migratory children, educator development funds and more.
Zoom in: The Department of Education directed Axios' questions for this story to the Office of Management and Budget. An OMB spokesperson said no decisions have been made amid "an ongoing programmatic review of education funding."
- The spokesperson pointed to initial findings that they said "show that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda."
What they're saying: Jodi Grant, the executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, described the withholding of funds as "a stunning betrayal," as states and territories had already committed money to after-school and summer learning programs.
- She said: "It's a long-term impact, no matter how you cut it."
- Even if the funds do come back, she said, it will be much harder to recover.
She emphasized that after-school programs have broad bipartisan support, and a majority of voters say they're a necessity for their communities.
The bottom line: Advocates and educators were already concerned that cuts at the Department of Education and AmeriCorps would disrupt summer and after-school programs.