California is leading 24 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed against President Donald Trump Monday for frozen education funding of billions of dollars for after-school care and summer programs.
The defunding comes at a time when American parents face a child care crisis. Public schools resume in July or August for American students.
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Education Maurice “Mo” Green said the funding was in legislation already approved by Trump.
“To now suggest that, for some reason, this money is somehow or another needing review because of someone’s agenda, I think is deeply troubling,” Green told reporters Monday.
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Pennsylvania are included in the lawsuit.
In their lawsuit, the states allege that the Trump Administration‘s withholding the previously-approved funding violates the U.S. Constitution and federal laws, as reported by The Associated Press. Without funding, low-income families across the country will not have access to after-school programs.
The funding provides after-school and summer programming for 1.4 million children and teenagers at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA and public schools. The money was set aside by Congress to provide academic support, enrichment and child care for mostly low-income American families. The Trump Administration said it must make sure the programs are in alignment with Trump’s priorities.
Rhode Island already stepped up to provide funding if the federal government refuses to keep its promise to do so.
Vice President for Communications for the Boys & Girls Club of America Sara Leutzinger said, while the organization does not have hope for program funding in the fall, Clubs have found other funding to keep summer programs available. Some of the nations’ 926 Boys & Girls Clubs may have to close if Trump does not unfreeze the funding from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program in the next three to five weeks.
National representatives for the YMCA and Save the Children also face closing their doors.
“Time is of the essence. It’s not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it,” Save the Children Executive Director Christy Gleason said. The organization provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South. Public school resumes in August in most southern states.
Republican-led areas are especially affected by the funding freeze, according to the AP, as 91 percent of the 100 school districts that receive the most funding per student from the grant programs in question are in Republican congressional districts.
“I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump. In Georgia, we’re getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students,” Georgia Schools Superintendent Richard Woods, a Republican, said.
Some of the four grant sources in question supported services for immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally or for LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts, the Office of Management and Budget said.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said the funding freeze affects support for students learning English, mental health services, and science and math education, especially in the state’s smaller, rural districts. School is already back in session in North Carolina, and, according to Jackson, approximately 1,000 teachers and staff are in danger of being laid off if Trump does not unfreeze the funding.
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Rebecca Barnabi
