On June 30, a day before the congressionally approved funding was scheduled to be allocated to state education agencies, the Department sent an email to all 50 states that funding was being withheld due to further review needed “in accordance with the President’s priorities...”. Funding affected by this withholding was funding for Title I, Part C (migrant education); Title II, Part A (professional learning for educators); Title III, Part A (multilingual/English learners); and Title IV, Parts A and B (before- and after-school programs and other programs that promote supplemental learning). 

If funding had been permanently withheld, Washington state would have seen an immediate decrease of $137 million in federal K–12 funding. 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. 

Education officials and families in all 50 states worked together to advocate for this outcome, and congressional lawmakers from both sides of the aisle urged the Trump Administration to follow the law and release this essential funding. Additionally, Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown joined 23 other states, commonwealths, and governors in a formal lawsuit against the Department and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in another effort to release the withheld funding. 

This bipartisan outcome was made possible by all states working together for something we can all get behind—high-quality and accessible public education that serves ALL students in America. Our schools, our local communities, and ultimately, the future of our nation, are made better when we make targeted investments so each and every student is supported.