The Trump administration will release the FY25 funding for major K-12 programs they were withholding from states and districts. The decision is a major win for school leaders and the entire education community who advocated on behalf of the students and educators who benefit from these funds. That’s the good news, topline takeaway. Nevertheless, there remain threats to education funding in the months ahead.

The administration’s Office of Management and Budget had been withholding the funds since July 1, when federal education funding is disbursed to states for the upcoming school year. Most of the affected programs were core improvement strategies in the Every Student Succeeds Act; $7 billion in funding was approved by Congress and signed by the President in March:

• Title II professional development state grants: $2.2 billion
• Title IV-A academic enrichment state grants: $1.4 billion
• Title IV-B after-school learning activities: $1.3 billion
• Title III English language acquisition grants: $890 million
• Adult education: $700 million
• Title I-C migrant state grants: $376 million

The release of the funding was a great relief to school leaders whose budgets, plans, and programs were thrown into chaos when the money was not forthcoming.

The administration’s reversal was a testament to the education community’s outreach to their elected officials about the direct, negative, and immediate impact the funding freeze was having in local districts and schools. The input was absolutely critical to prodding senators and representatives to pressure the administration to release the funds.

School leaders did their part. Hundreds sent messages to their lawmakers via our action alert. NAESP and AFSA highlighted the importance of the funding, particularly the Title II professional development funding, and how this funding unpredictability was making school leadership even more difficult and impacting student learning.

NAESP sent a joint letter with other principal groups to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging them to intervene. And NAESP and nine state affiliates joined a national call of more than 600 education groups demanding the release of the funds.

It worked.

Congratulations, and thank you. Well done.

Remaining Steadfast in Advocating for Education Funding

School leaders cannot rest on their laurels, however, but must remain vigilant and ready. There are still some funding threats looming in the near future.

First, is the possibility that the Trump administration will seek to claw back these or other FY25 K-12 funds through a legislative process called “rescission.” This is just a fancy term to describe the method by which the president requests Congress recoup money it had previously appropriated. Like other legislation, both the House and Senate must agree to the request by each passing a rescission bill for the specific funds involved.

The second, longer-term concern is of course the administration’s FY26 budget request that would eliminate nearly three dozen education programs, including the programs whose FY25 funding was withheld. This will be a months-long battle as the House and Senate draft and approve their respective FY26 appropriations bills for federal education funding. Like the funding freeze, it will be incumbent upon school leaders to explain to their elected officials the benefits and value of these funds and the program activities they support to students, educators, and schools.

But these issues are for September. In the meantime, school leaders should take a well-deserved victory lap, secure in the knowledge that the school year will begin with the education funding approved by Congress being sent to states and districts in large part because of their efforts. You can quickly and easily contact your representative and two senators with that message using our advocacy tool.

David Griffith is associate executive director, Policy and Advocacy, at NAESP.