The Trump administration recently released $10.8 million in funding for Connecticut’s after-school programs, which is only a small part of the over $50 million in federal education funding that was withheld.
This partial release came after Connecticut and other states sued the federal government over the freeze.
The funding supports after-school programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant. The U.S. Department of Education informed Connecticut officials about the release in a message sent on July 23.
However, the Trump administration has set conditions: recipients must follow civil rights and other federal laws. The department warned that if any funds are used for "unallowable activities," they could take enforcement actions or demand the money back.
Even with this funding release, many after-school and summer programs have already been disrupted. The state is still missing about $40 million, and many school districts are dealing with serious budget gaps.
The president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, Leslie Blatteau, said more could be done, but it’s still an important win to celebrate.
“We're in a time right now where we want to celebrate any wins that we have,” Blatteau said. “We are fighting against an increasingly authoritarian federal government that's really coming after the bedrock of our democracy, which is our public schools. So, when we are able to fight back against these attacks and actually claim a win, that is something that we absolutely should celebrate.”
She said after-school programs are essential for families with working parents so that they can finish their shift at work and students can get an additional meal and additional academic, social and emotional support.
“After-school programs are a win for everybody. They're a win for school communities, they're a win for working families, and they're a win for the kids who participate in them. So the fact that that money will be directed to where it's supposed to be, here in the state of Connecticut, is crucial,” she said.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong called the release a "half-measure" and said the lawsuit against the administration will continue.
“While we understand that the U.S. Department of Education may have made some funds available for certain programs, that is not nearly enough. Half-measures do not make up for the real damage the Trump Administration is doing to students, parents, teachers, and schools. States and municipalities need certainty about their budgets and programming decisions in advance of the coming school year. We will continue to press our lawsuit against the Trump Administration over its unconstitutional, unlawful, and arbitrary decision to freeze over $53 million for Connecticut schools and $6.8 billion in funding nationwide for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education,” Tong said in a statement.
The president of the state’s largest teachers' union said the $10.8 million is not nearly enough and emphasized that the freeze harms students, families and schools across the state.
Officials are still waiting to hear about the rest of the frozen funds, which support a wide range of programs like teacher training, technology in schools, English language learning, adult education, and literacy services.
