What's at stake?
A freeze on federal grants by the Trump Administration on funds for summer and afterschool programs, English learning services and more nationwide could mean a loss of tens of millions of dollars in funding for Fresno County schools.
Fresno County school budgets have been thrown into disarray after federal funds were withheld on Tuesday, with Fresno County potentially on the hook to lose tens of millions in federal grant funding.
The frozen federal grants help fund English learning services, summer and afterschool programs, teacher training and more. Fresno County schools received around $48 million in the 2024-25 school year for these programs. Now, the future of those funds is uncertain.
“Administrators were already preparing for difficult budget decisions in the 2026-27 school year,” said Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Michele Cantwell-Copher in a statement to Fresnoland.
“However, if promised funding is not disbursed, it would be unprecedented, and our schools would face a challenge they have never encountered before,” Cantwell-Copher added.
Cantwell-Copher explained that school districts were expecting the funds on July 1 to support programs that are already in progress. Now, administrators are evaluating potential funding shortfalls, particularly regarding staffing.
Positions, like those funded by Title III English Language Acquisition grants, could be affected, according to Superintendent Cantwell-Copher.
The frozen federal grants are awarded annually on July 1. However, the California Department of Education (CDE) received a notice from the administration a day before that the funds would not be released.
“The Administration is withholding funds that employ vital school staff who provide critical resources and supports for learning for all students,” said California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond in a statement on July 1.
“Every child will feel the impact of this disruption delivered shortly before the start of the school year, when our students, educators, and families should be anticipating the year ahead and making plans to support our children’s learning and growth,” Thurmond added.
The CDE estimates that $1 billion in funds are being kept from California, based on awarded funds from previous years.
At the district level, Fresno Unified could lose $7.1 million in funding, according to a statement made Wednesday
“At Fresno Unified, our commitment to every student remains unwavering,” said Superintendent Her in the statement, adding, “As your Superintendent, I will do everything within my power to protect our students and shield them from the consequences of these harmful cuts. We will continue to advocate relentlessly for the funding our students deserve.”
An updated and more detailed budget is planned to be shared next week by FUSD.
For Clovis Unified, the freeze could result in a loss of around $2.2 million in funding for Title II, Title III and Title IV resources, according to Chief Communications Officer Kelly Avants.
“We are still looking into the potential impact of the adult school grants that were mentioned in the federal announcement,” Avants said in a statement to Fresnoland.
“We are hopeful it won’t be necessary, but are prepared to pivot as needed to ensure the needs of our students served by these funding streams are met,” Avants added.
Why were funds frozen?
Initially, the Trump administration offered little explanation for the withheld funds, only noting that the grants were being reviewed to ensure that they align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.
However, in a statement shared with Politico on Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget said that an initial review showed that the grants were “grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda.”
As of now, the review of the grant funds is still ongoing and no decisions to release or withhold the funds have been made.
For now, State Superintendent Thurmond says California will continue to battle the Trump administration in court for the funds.
“California and other states have already filed suit against the Trump Administration based on prior acts to unlawfully withhold funding because we refuse to conform with the President’s political ideology,” Thurmond said on July 1.
“California will continue to pursue all available legal remedies to the Trump Administration’s unlawful withholding of federal funds appropriated by Congress.”
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