Some Metro Atlanta school districts have put after-school and other educational and professional training programs on hold in the wake of the federal government freezing the distribution of education funds.
The Fulton County School System reported that $8.2 million from the Office of Management and Budget has been frozen.
Federal funding frozen by the OMB includes Title II (professional learning), Title III (English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) supplemental funding), Title IV A (student support and academic enrichment grant), and Title IV B (21st Century grant which goes to organizations providing after-school programs).
“Our personnel and programs remain on hold until final financial decision is made by the U.S. Department of Education. We’ve paid for personnel but not programs,” an FCS spokesperson told Rough Draft Atlanta.
Regarding the DeKalb County School System, Jennifer Caracciolo, the deputy chief communications officer, said the school system has received two emails from state/federal agencies “and they have been very broad, promising to share information as it becomes available.”
“The DeKalb County School District (was notified on July 1 by the Georgia Department of Education that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is reviewing funding for federal programs, including Title I-C, II-A, III-A, IV-A, and IV-B grants, leading to a delay in the disbursement of funding.” she said. “According to the GADOE, State Superintendent Richard Woods is strongly committed to ensuring that districts have access to the funds they need to start the school year successfully. DCSD is awaiting further information from the GADOE.”
DCSD was also notified on July 1 by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) that Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) funding from ED will not be obligated or made available on July 1.
This decision was initiated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), not ED,” the statement said. “TCSG is working to gain a clearer understanding of the situation and what it means for adult education programs in Georgia, and shared that they remain hopeful that they will receive definitive guidance from ED and OMB soon.”
Carracciolo said the school system will continue to monitor the funding situation.
Options for the school districts are limited. Other funding sources could be allocated for pared-back programs as available funding would be less than what the federal government has provided, which could force school districts to cancel programs, according to an FCS spokesperson.
The FCS spokesperson said superintendents and boards of education will need to make a decision to find other funding or cancel programs.
Ensuring educators get professional learning opportunities is one of the goals for FCS. School district leadership will work to determine how to move forward, the district’s spokesperson said.
The Title III program supports supplemental services and activities for English language students, teachers, and families. Fulton County district administrators are discussing the funding situation to strategize solutions.
State School Superintendent Richard Woods issued a statement calling for the funding to be released.
“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,” Woods said in his statement. “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.”
Rough Draft reached out to a representative from the Atlanta Public School system for comment regarding possible cuts in funding, but didn’t receive a response.