The Trump administration withheld more than $6 billion in federal education funds. The district said it would face “difficult decisions” without the funding.
BOISE, Idaho — In early July, the Trump administration withheld nearly $6 billion in federal grants for after-school and summer programs for immigrant children and low-income students. While the effects of the funding freeze are unknown, the Boise School District wanted to address staff and families in the district.
On Wednesday, officials stated the Gem State receives an estimated $33.3 million, with approximately $1.5 million allocated to the Boise School District in grants.
“These federal programs are essential to providing professional learning for our staff, supporting multilingual learners, and offering safe and enriching learning opportunities for students,” the district wrote in a news release. “Without this funding, we would face difficult decisions that could affect student supports and services.”
On July 1, programs received a notice from the Education Department stating that they would not receive their already congressionally allocated funds and would not be released until their program was reviewed, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
According to the AP, the administration stated the review of the grants is to make sure it aligns with President Trump’s priorities, as it claimed it helped fund “a radical leftwing agenda.”
School district officials said they will be monitoring the situation and working to recover their funding.