Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement demanding the immediate release of funding for K-12 public schools after the Trump Administration announced its intent to illegally withhold over $6 billion in Congressionally appropriated education funds, including approximately $928 million from California:
“Just weeks away from the start of the school year, the Trump Administration has managed to find trillions of dollars in tax breaks for billionaires but went out of their way to freeze education funding that Trump, himself, signed into law. That’s not just wrong for our students — it’s wrong for our economy, too.
“If the Trump Administration goes through with their latest political attack on California and our nation’s public education, it will punish the teachers and principals who are already underpaid and under-resourced. It will force schools to roll back after-school programs, hurt the children of farm workers traveling to pick our food, and hold back students who rely on English-language classes.
“This reckless decision threatens the future of America’s workforce and our global competitiveness. And if the Administration is asking for a fight, make no mistake — California will give it to them.”
The Trump Administration has confirmed it is blocking funding for the following programs from being available to school districts across America:
- Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students.
- Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
- English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
- Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farm workers.
- Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.
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