As of July 1, Georgia is missing more than $222 million in federally approved funds frozen by the U.S. Department of Education, raising alarm among state leaders and school districts.

In a statement this morning, State Superintendent Richard Woods called for fiscal responsibility by releasing the already approved funds.

“I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible – releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump. In Georgia, we’re getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.”

The withheld funds, earmarked to support summer and after-school programs for migrant students, English learners, and underserved communities, were authorized in a continuing resolution passed by Congress in March and signed into law by President Trump.

With Georgia is missing more than $223,888,870, students will suffer, according to NEA President Becky Pringle.

“Withholding billions in promised federal education funding that students need—and states had planned to use to support children in their states—is a cruel betrayal of students, especially those who rely on critical support services. Schools are already grappling with severe teacher shortages, burnout, and under-resourced classrooms, and here comes the federal government ripping resources away from public schools. It is outrageous and unconscionable.

Impoundment and Congressional Rescission

This delay of funds, known as impoundment, occurs when the executive branch withholds funds that Congress has appropriated. While the president can temporarily hold back funds, the Impoundment Control Act prohibits permanent withholding without Congressional approval. To do so legally, the administration must issue a “special message” to Congress outlining a formal request for rescission. This allows for a 45-day review period during which both chambers must approve the withholding. To date, no such message has been submitted for these K–12 education funds.

If Congress does not approve a rescission request by an administration within 45 days, the request is considered denied, and the administration must release the funds. As of the time of this posting, no special message has been sent by the current Administration to Congress regarding these four programs.

Annual practice is that, after Congress appropriates the funds, ED provides states and territories with “allocation tables” that inform them of the exact amount of funding they will receive from each federal education formula grant program. Typically, ED provides state educational agencies with the formula program allocation tables and access to draw down those funds by July 1, allowing states and districts to plan, budget, and begin spending for the upcoming school year.

Typically, by July 1 each year, the Department of Education distributes “allocation tables” to states and territories, allowing education agencies to plan budgets and begin accessing funds. The delay now jeopardizes programs scheduled for summer and early fall, with unallocated money at risk of expiring and reverting to the U.S. Treasury.

Impacted Student Programs


As of today, states have not received the allocation tables necessary for them to draw down funds for several education programs authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and available through the continuing resolution. Five of these programs include:

  1. Migrant Education. These funds support migratory children in reaching challenging academic standards and graduating from high school.
  2. Supporting Effective Instruction. These funds support increasing student achievement by improving the quality and effectiveness of educators and underserved students’ access to effective educators.
  3. English Language Acquisition. These funds help students learn English and meet challenging state academic standards.
  4. Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program. These funds support improving student academic achievement, including providing students with access to a well-rounded education, enhancing school conditions for student learning, and enhancing the use of technology.
  5. Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers. These funds provide academic enrichment opportunities, such as literacy and other educational services, during non-school hours (e.g., through after-school or summer programs) for students and their families, particularly those in underserved and low-performing schools.

Nationwide, an estimated total of $6.2 billion in Congressionally appropriated funds across these five programs currently remains unavailable to states and territories. All states and territories are facing severe impacts, with the funds across these five programs totaling 10% or more of their overall federal K–12 funding. For 17 states and territories, the total funds are 15% or more of their overall federal K–12 funding, potentially forcing severe cuts to critical programs.

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

If the Education Department refuses to make these funds available to states and territories without Congressional approval, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is responsible for taking action.

Starting on July 1, the GAO can investigate the effects of the withholding on states and territories, school districts, and students and report illegal impoundment to Congress. The GAO can then bring civil action against the Executive Branch for failing to obligate appropriated funds in a timely manner.

GAO is already investigating at least 39 potential violations of the Impoundment Control Act by the current Administration. The GAO is beginning to release initial findings from some of the investigations and has recently found, for example, that the Administration illegally withheld funds intended for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. If the GAO takes civil action as a result of any of these investigations, it will be a lengthy process that could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Trump administration is blocking nearly $7 billion in approved education funding from reaching states and school districts. A state-by-state breakdown of the funding at stake is provided below.

StateFiscal Year 2024 FundingFiscal Year 2025 Funding (as of 7/7/25)
Alabama$100,392,656 not released
Alaska$47,665,907 not released
Arizona$134,262,493 not released
Arkansas$64,255,707 not released
California$927,965,332 not released
Colorado$79,619,065 not released
Connecticut$53,561,846 not released
Delaware$28,585,105 not released
District of Columbia$26,683,109 not released
Florida$398,177,922 not released
Georgia$223,888,870 not released
Hawaii$33,290,327 not released
Idaho$36,493,633 not released
Illinois$243,191,750 not released
Indiana$107,174,260 not released
Iowa$44,494,874 not released
Kansas$49,946,530not released
Kentucky$96,495,478not released
Louisiana$119,812,747not released
Maine$27,630,253not released
Maryland$110,193,772not released
Massachusetts$107,694,933not released
Michigan$173,716,752not released
Minnesota$74,106,362not released
Mississippi$71,654,231not released
Missouri$93,962,471not released
Montana$27,978,071not released
Nebraska$38,149,509not released
Nevada$61,212,651not released
New Hampshire$27,004,029not released
New Jersey$162,462,714not released
New Mexico$49,847,565not released
New York$463,833,139not released
North Carolina$185,874,769not released
North Dakota$26,573,545not released
Ohio$203,510,265not released
Oklahoma$77,827,922not released
Oregon$80,991,681not released
Pennsylvania$230,714,211not released
Rhode Island$29,371,806not released
South Carolina$94,118,605not released
South Dakota$27,200,921not released
Tennessee$118,985,396not released
Texas$738,537,697not released
Utah$40,402,965not released
Vermont$26,125,325not released
Virginia$123,536,510not released
Washington$150,695,542not released
West Virginia$32,494,457not released
Wisconsin$80,333,097not released
Wyoming$25,545,207not released
Total$6,880,834,000???

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