Federal education fund freeze impacts Transylvania
Jamie Atkinson
Second-grade students work on their writing skills as part of a summer program run by The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County. Federal Title funds which provides reimbursement for the club’s free after-school programs are currently tied up in a last-minute review process which leaves the future of the program uncertain.
A freeze in federal funding enacted by the Trump administration late last month puts an estimated $616,247 of Federal Title funds for education programs in Transylvania County on hold a day before they were to be allotted.
Of that estimate, $267,496 of specific Federal Title funds intended for Transylvania County Schools to finance key programs and teacher pay is likely caught in the mix along with an already-promised $348,751 which funded free after-school programs at The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County, according to figures from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the two organizations.
According to a Tuesday social media post by Transylvania County Schools, the portion of its funding which was frozen is normally used to “support instruction, Multilingual Learner (MLL) services, professional development and tuition reimbursement.”
When asked by the The T. Times for more specifics about how the affected Federal Title funds are used in Transylvania County, TCS Superintendent Lisa Fletcher said the details about the effects are still unclear and the actual funding amounts the school system were supposed to be alloted are currently unknown. She also said the length of the delay on the funds is uncertain.
“Like many others, we’re relying on reports from various sources, and it’s difficult to respond with certainty when we ourselves are still waiting for clear guidance,” Fletcher said. “What’s most important for our community to know is that we are closely monitoring all developments and are actively working on a plan in the event we do experience any funding cuts.”
Fletcher also said the school system voiced its concerns with U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards about a “lack of communication,” but did not indicate which party the communication issues were with.
The superintendent added that the federal funding they receive is not approved in budgetary form until after they are given their allotments by NCDPI in late summer, so the budget for the school system which includes those funds have not been approved by the Board of Education yet.
CLUB IMPACT
Jamie Atkinson, executive director of The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County, said the nearly $350,000 of Federal Title funds the club receives were part of a three-year commitment for a Title program called “21st Century Community Learning Centers.”
The grant from the federal government, which the club started seeing benefits from last school year, allowed the nonprofit to provide a free-of-charge after-school and enrichment program to 400 enrolled students in the county.
The Federal Title program makes up 18% of the nonprofit’s overall operating budget.
Atkinson said while the funds are frozen now, the club will still be able to operate the program through this school year’s fall semester before its board reevaluates their funding options.
The club used the grant money to pay for extra staff time, supplies, resources and even the full salaries of some of their full-time employees, Atkinson said.
The program allows families in the county a place for their kids to continue in enriching activities after public schools close.
The after-school program saw on average 220 children every day last school year and stayed open until 7 p.m.
Atkinson said the club’s participation in the next round of the three-year grant program is up for renewal in a few days and the funding for the program is a big factor in the club’s future plans to provide free after-school programming for 25% of county students at roughly 900 pupils.
She said the uncertainty about the continuation of the funding may mean the club will need to reassess the timeline of that goal.
CHUCK EDWARDS
The freeze was enacted without warning by the Trump administration June 30, the day before the funds were to be alloted to the school districts by NCDPI, in order to facilitate a review of the Federal Title programs.
Congress had already voted on three continuing resolutions to extend funding for these programs. Edwards, whose constituency includes Transylvania County, voted all three times in favor of the resolutions.
“While I think it’s inaccurate to describe the administration’s review period of title funding as a ‘freeze,’ I’d rather get this funding into the hands of our schools sooner rather than later,” Edwards said in a statement to The T. Times. “I am urging the White House to expeditiously conduct their review and disperse the funds I helped appropriate so our educators can go into the new school year with funding certainty.”
STATE RESPONSE
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson Monday joined attorneys general in 23 other states whom are suing the federal government to end the freeze and return the money to school districts.
“Public schools across North Carolina, especially in rural areas, need this money to keep teachers in the classroom and keep kids safe while they learn,” said Jackson in a Monday NCDPI press release. “It’s unlawful and unconstitutional for the Department of Education to withhold money that Congress has appropriated. I’m going to court to get this money for our students, our schools, and North Carolina families.”
According to a statement from State Superintendent Mo Green and the NCDPI, the following Federal Title programs and their estimated amounts are those currently tied up in the review process, the length of which has not been made available:
–Title I, Part C (Education of Migratory Children) — $5.4 million.
–Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction) — $67.9 million.
–Title III, Part A (English Language Acquisition) — $19.3 million.
–Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) — $37.2 million.
–Title IV, Part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers) — $35.7 million.
“This delay affects both our agency operations and our ability to support school districts across the state,” Green said in the statement. “Many of you work directly with these programs or support their implementation, and we recognize this creates uncertainty about program continuity and staffing.”
