Education department releases money it withheld from schools
An adult walking a child to class in the San Diego Unified School District File photo by Chris Stone After withholding billions of dollars in school funding for nearly a month the U S Tuition Department explained Friday that it would release the money starting next week But several school representatives are still waiting until they have cash in hand before celebrating The only way to know is next week which is when these funds are supposed to arrive but I am worried about what sort of hoops they want us to go through to be compliant reported Kindra Britt a spokesperson for California County Superintendents an organization that includes all of the state s county superintendents Normally California s department of teaching begins working with the federal regime in the spring so that K- and adult schools can start spending federal money on July but this year is different On June the state mentoring department learned that the Trump administration planned to withhold more than million intended to endorsement a slew of essential services in California such as after-school programs and professional progress for teachers The administration also stated it would withhold roughly million for adult instruction including money for English-language learning and high school equivalency courses Several California counties laid off workers soon after the announcement reported Britt California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued U S Guidance Secretary Linda McMahon arguing that the department is required to disburse the funds because Congress already appropriated them Last week the Trump administration partly relented by allowing the money for after-school programs to flow but on a condition that schools use the money in accordance with the U S Constitution and other federal non-discrimination laws The administration has used similar language as a pretext to propose cutting or delaying funding for diversity initiatives The present day the administration reported it would release the rest of the funds starting Monday but the same conditions apply In an email to adult learning administrators the U S Coaching Department announced it was prepared to claw back any dollars used for unallowable exercises Based on the administration s previous actions those exercises could include promoting diversity or allowing transgender girls to compete in girls sports Nearly two weeks after California joined with other states to sue the Trump administration and nearly a month after grants were due to states the administration has at last disclosed a plan to release teaching funds that they are illegally withholding declared Michelle Hatfield a society information officer with the California Department of Development In the meantime school is already in session in parts of California and the Trump administration s actions continue to negatively impact California students Nonetheless Hatfield revealed she s hopeful that the Trump administration follows through and sends the money to California speedily Bonta s original lawsuit against the U S Teaching Department is still ongoing revealed Elissa Perez a spokesperson for the state s justice department This is one of the latest examples of the Trump Administration sowing chaos to services and sectors that are critically pivotal to Americans nationwide Despite the expected for future litigation various school functionaries say the release of federal funds is a supremacy and a testament to their advocacy State Superintendent of Residents Instruction Tony Thurmond spoke out repeatedly about the funding delays and lawmakers including Congressional Republicans agreed We re moving in the right direction disclosed Troy Flint chief communications officer with the California School Boards Association The funds never should have been held in the first place Sharon Bonney the CEO of Coalition on Adult Basic Instruction announced she was elated when the learning department notified her But she acknowledged that the month of delayed funding still had a serious impact There have been a number of programs that shuttered their doors or already started delivering a fraction of services CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable
