(The Center Square) — Arizona members of Congress are calling on the federal government to release $118 million in education funding.
Following the Trump administration withholding $6.8 billion in federal funding from schools across the country, members of Congress are speaking out, urging the federal government to release these education funds.
In a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, Russell Vought, and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Arizona, with U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, urged officials to “immediately release these funds.”
The federal education funds were set to release on July 1, but were put on hold after the Office of Management and Budget at the White House determined that education departments over the years have misused grant programs.
No official cuts have been made, OMB told The Center Square.
But lawmakers and others in the Southwest remain concerned.
“The timing of this withholding is particularly serious for Arizona schools that begin the new school earlier than many schools across the country. One school district in Arizona begins the term on July 16, 2025,” the letter said. “This freeze is putting Arizona school districts in an impossible financial situation, as school districts have already adopted their annual budgets and signed contracts for the upcoming school year.”
Despite these potential cuts, the Arizona Department of Education states it will continue to help school districts navigate the potentially affected programs.
“The Arizona Department is taking steps to guide districts and charters regarding the affected programs in grants management for FY 2026 funding applications, and we are working to obtain more information and access the federal funds as soon as possible,” the Arizona Department said in a press release.
Members of Congress in other states have also spoken out on how this freeze could effect their local school districts.
“If the Trump administration goes through with their latest political attack on California and our nation’s public education, it will punish the teachers and principals who are already underpaid and under-resourced. It will force schools to roll back after-school programs, hurt the children of farm workers traveling to pick our food, and hold back students who rely on English-language classes,” said U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California “This reckless decision threatens the future of America’s workforce and our global competitiveness. And if the Administration is asking for a fight, make no mistake — California will give it to them.”
Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal explained the Evergreen State will lose around $137 million if the federal government decides to cut its funding.
“If states lose access to funds for these essential programs, Washington’s school districts will see an immediate decrease of approximately $137 million, amounting to 15.6% of our state’s federal K–12 funding,” Reykdal said in a press release. “This is a financial risk to districts, because they’ve made programming and employment commitments with the assumption that they’d be receiving this funding. Losses of this amount, with such short notice and after local budgets have already been drafted and adopted by local school boards, have the potential to put several more school districts in extreme financial distress.”
Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods is also calling on the federal government to release their $201 million in education funding.
“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,” Woods said. “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 Center Square reached out to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, but it responded with, “No comment at this time.”
