California after-school and summer programs will get some of their funding back after the federal government said on Friday that it would restore grants it had previously withheld. But the money is contingent on states complying with Civil Rights laws – a cudgel the White House has used in the past to crack down on diversity efforts.
“It’s a big relief,” said Heather Williams, director of policy and outreach for the California AfterSchool Network. “The funding freeze was very disruptive and there was a level of chaos. We’re hopeful that anyone that canceled or paused programs can jump back in.”
The U.S. Department of Education announced on June 30 – a day before the money was set to be released – it would not give out grant money for after-school programs, migrant education, English learners, professional development for teachers and other programs, pending a review of whether the programs were in line with President Donald Trump’s priorities. The funding freeze affected nearly every school in the state, particularly those that serve low-income children.
In all, the White House withheld nearly $7 billion in education funds, including about $800 million for California. The money had already been approved by Congress, leading California and 24 other states to sue for the funds to be released. There’s been no ruling yet on that suit.
California was due $147 million in after-school grants. When the money didn’t come through, schools and nonprofits such as the YMCA, which also provide after-school and summer programs to children, had to lay off staff and cancel programs if they couldn’t find money to keep the programs going on their own.
On Friday, the White House sent an email to states saying that after-school grants would be released under the condition that schools not use the money “in any manner that violates the United States Constitution,” the Civil Rights Act or other laws. The U.S. Department of Education did not return emails seeking clarification.
Other grants, such as those for migrant students, remain frozen.
In the White House’s earlier attempts to roll back diversity programs in schools, it often cited the Civil Rights Act as a rationale, saying that initiatives that favor certain student groups are inherently discriminatory. Most schools in California have at least some diversity programs, whether it’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations, Black Student Unions or special graduation ceremonies for Native American students.
State education officials were not available for comment on Monday.
‘Urgent’ need to release all funds
In Humboldt County, school districts had to shuffle their budgets to keep summer programs open after the funds were frozen on July 1. Although it’s “a welcome relief” to have the money restored, it’s not close to being enough, said County Superintendent Michael Davies-Hughes.
Schools need all the money that’s been frozen, not just the after-school funds, he said.
“We need the whole package, urgently,” he said. “If we don’t have the money, we’ll have districts moving toward insolvency. I implore the federal administration to understand that these programs are not optional.”
Cutting federal grants hurts all students, he said, but especially those who are low-income because those students don’t have a lot of other options, he said. Federally funded summer programs help students stay on track academically and socially while their parents work; losing those programs has “an outsized detrimental effect on the most vulnerable students,” he said.
Meanwhile, schools are also contending with declining enrollment and other funding cuts.
“We’ve already trimmed the fat. Now we’re looking at limbs and organs,” Davies-Hughes said. “And we have to keep the organs.”
The release of after-school grant money is good news for this summer’s programs, but a bigger concern is next year, Williams said. The recent federal budget bill did not include after-school funding, and Trump has said he wants to eliminate the program next year.
Federal money is a relatively small but important part of California’s overall after-school funding. The state contributed more than $1.8 billion to after-school programs last year, which allowed most elementary students in California to attend after-school and summer programs for free or for steep discounts.
But high school programs are a different story. Federal grants are the only source of funding for high school after-school programs, which are a key part of career and technical education pathways.