Governor JB Pritzker led a coalition of 17 governors demanding that Education Secretary Linda McMahon immediately release $6.8 billion in federal education funding that the Trump administration is withholding from schools across America.
The governors from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin signed onto the letter sent Thursday, highlighting the far-reaching national impact of the administration’s decision to freeze these congressionally approved funds.
The withholding particularly affects Illinois, where state education officials estimate that $241.8 million in federal funding for schools, community colleges, and adult education providers remains frozen. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) have detailed how this funding supports critical educational programs across the state.
The withheld Illinois funding includes $75.6 million for Supporting Effective Instruction to support 784 local educational agencies and mentoring of approximately 250 novice superintendents, plus professional learning subscriptions for more than 142,000 educators. An additional $30.4 million designated for English Language Acquisition would directly support 293,070 English learners in 274 districts and 56,842 eligible immigrant students in 137 districts.
Other affected programs include $56.6 million for Student Support and Academic Enrichment, $54.3 million for 21st Century Community Learning Centers serving approximately 375 program sites, $1.9 million for Migrant Education serving 1,200 eligible students, $20 million for Adult Education Basic Grants, and $3 million for Adult Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education.
The Trump administration’s decision to withhold these funds was a move that has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. On June 30, just one day before the funds were scheduled to be distributed to states, the Department of Education notified states that it would not release the money while conducting what it called an “ongoing programmatic review.”
The administration’s action has triggered significant legal and political responses. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit on July 14, arguing that the withholding violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law. The lawsuit challenges the administration’s authority to unilaterally withhold funds that Congress has already appropriated.
More than 150 House Democrats and 32 Senate Democrats have also written letters demanding the immediate release of the funds, calling the withholding “illegal” and emphasizing that it violates the administration’s responsibility to implement laws passed by Congress.
The funding freeze is having immediate consequences for schools and students across the nation. The withheld money supports programs that have operated for decades, including $2.2 billion for teacher professional development, $1.4 billion for afterschool and summer programs, $890 million for English language learners, and $375 million for migrant education.
School districts are now facing difficult decisions about staffing and programming for the upcoming school year. Some districts have already begun layoffs and program cancellations, while others are scrambling to find alternative funding sources.
The Office of Management and Budget, led by Director Russell Vought, has defended the funding freeze as necessary to ensure taxpayer dollars align with the president’s priorities.
OMB officials claim initial findings show the grants have been “grossly misused to subsidize a radical left-wing agenda.” Despite multiple requests from Congress and state officials, the administration has not provided a timeline for when the review will be completed or confirmed that funds will be released once the review concludes.
