“The July 1 announcement by the federal government that it would freeze billions of education dollars previously approved by Congress and due to go out to schools that same day, is an outright travesty,” said CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. “It ignores the real and present needs of almost 6 million students here in California and tens of millions more across the nation. America’s greatness was built on a centuries-old ethos that education is the cornerstone of our democracy. Shortchanging students, particularly in our small and rural communities, is not a path towards greatness, but a giant step toward mediocrity.”
School is a little more than a month away for many school districts and county offices of education, but the efforts of educators to prepare for the new academic year are threatened by the Department of Education’s decision to withhold nearly $6.8 billion in federal funding for TK-12 schools that was scheduled for distribution on July 1, 2025. If this action stands, it means that $811 million that has already been appropriated by Congress for use in California schools is now frozen and cannot be used to benefit students. Local educational agencies have built their summer and 2025–26 school year plans on the promise of this funding and to have the rug pulled out from under them on the day the money was to be received does a disservice to students all across the state.
Each year on July 1, by law, states receive the bulk of the federal education money Congress allocated for the upcoming K-12 school year. On June 30, states received an email saying the U.S. Department of Education was still reviewing 2025 funding for programs including Title I-C for migrant education ($375 million); Title II-A for professional development ($2.2 billion); Title III-A for English-learner services ($890 million); Title IV-A for academic enrichment ($1.3 billion); and Title IV-B for before- and after-school programs ($1.4 billion). In many California districts and county offices of education, that money was built into school budgets this spring and administrators expected to start spending it this month and next.
As CSBA Chief, Governmental Relations Patrick O’Donnell said in a July 1 press conference at the California Department of Education decrying the funding freeze, “These are targeted investments that will directly improve outcomes for all students in California. California students cannot afford further delays, so we urge the federal government to act now and fulfill its promise to all students in California.”
CSBA is advocating to ensure LEAs receive their promised funding for programs that allow them to offer academic enrichment, pay for before- and after-school programs, deliver teacher training and professional development, provide English learner services and support migrant education. Even a short delay in funding has significant consequences as schools need this funding now to purchase curriculum materials, add needed technology to classrooms, and furnish other student supports that are critical to academic success.
The CDE responded with a letter to county and district superintendents and charter administrators. “With the information we have at this stage, we cannot make recommendations about how LEAs should proceed with related programs at this time. Any decisions about pausing, stopping, or continuing to provide services funded by these dollars is at the discretion of LEAs,” wrote David Schapira and Ingrid Roberson, CDE chief deputy superintendents.
If California schools cannot rely on timely payments from the federal government, it destabilizes public education and hinders our efforts to provide a high-quality education for all students. CSBA is resolute in its opposition to the federal funding freeze and will work doggedly to ensure California schools receive all funding to which they are entitled by Congressional appropriation.
