Reference News Network, July 5 report. According to the website of the U.S. "Wall Street Journal," on June 30, state education leaders across the United States received a short but shocking email from the U.S. Department of Education. The email stated that the nearly $700 million in education funding approved by Congress in March and signed into law by President Trump would not be disbursed as expected the next day. The email did not specify the reason, but mentioned an audit.
As the new school year approaches, the freeze on funds has left superintendents from California to Rhode Island scrambling to find solutions to the funding shortfall. These funds will be used for a range of activities, including after-school programs, teacher training, adult education, and support for students learning English.
The report said that the Association of State Directors of Education held an emergency meeting on July 1, with its members trying to offer advice to confused school district officials. Relevant groups have criticized the decision as unlawful, and educators are beginning to consider how to plan for the upcoming school year.
Cheryl Jordan, a superintendent in a diverse mid-sized school district near San Jose, California, said she had planned to use part of the funds for English teachers and onboarding training for new teachers.
If the money is not released, the district's budget will have a shortfall of about $1.5 million. She said, "This will definitely have a huge impact on us."
The report said that Amine Turoyo, a spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget, said this move reflects "an ongoing project review" and "no decisions have been made yet." He also said that the "initial findings" of the review indicated that the funds were being used to "support radical left-wing agendas."
Turoyo said that once, a grant "helped develop an organization that advocates for undocumented immigrants." He did not specify what percentage of the funds was deemed misused by the Office of Management and Budget. The government has used similar reasons to withhold funds from other federal programs, including National Public Radio and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The problematic billions account for less than 1% of the total funding for public schools. But these grants are widely distributed across thousands of school districts and every state.
This is the latest move by the Trump administration to cut federal funding for local schools and reduce the Department of Education's budget. Officials believe that the Department and some of its programs have proven to be ineffective.
Angie Fontaine-Green, the education commissioner of Rhode Island, said, "The past six months have been too chaotic. Now chaos has entered another level." (Translated by Ge Xuele)
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523484063764709907/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the [Up/Down] buttons below.