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More than $118 million for Tennessee schools and educational programs is in limbo after the Trump administration froze federal funding last week that had been approved by Congress.
Withheld funds or potential cuts could heavily impact Tennessee education programs, where it’s primarily been used to pay for teacher development, after-school programs, and other child care initiatives.
In a statement, Memphis-Shelby County Schools district officials say 100 teacher and staff positions could be impacted if some $17 million is withheld.
The district planned to use more than $14 million of the impacted funds for teacher development and recruitment efforts across 38 positions, according to district budget proposal documents. Another $1.6 million was earmarked for English language learner support to supplement 46 school-based translators.
“While this situation presents significant challenges, MSCS is actively developing thoughtful contingency plans to minimize disruption and ensure students, families, and staff continue to receive the support they need,” the district said. “In the event the funding is not reinstated, the district may be required to make difficult decisions, which could include program adjustments or use of reserve funds intended to protect long-term financial stability.”
The Tennessee Department of Education hasn’t commented on the funding freeze or how it’s communicating developments to school districts in the weeks before Tennessee students return to the classroom, though other states have provided breakdowns of projected impacts on local schools.
Congress approved the funding in March, and school districts expected the money to be released at the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1. The federal funding included $890 million for English language learners, $2.2 billion for teacher training, $1.4 billion for before- and after-school programs, and $1.3 billion for enrichment programs like college counseling nationwide.
A smaller pot of money — $375 million — was supposed to pay for academic support for the children of migrant farmworkers.
Several Democrat-led states have called for the funding to be released and have threatened legal action. The Trump administration has said the freeze is part of an ongoing review of federally funded programs.
An Office of Management and Budget spokesperson said its initial findings showed that grant funds have “been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,” including issues around immigration, though the office did not provide Chalkbeat with any documentation of the allegations.
In Tennessee, less than 2% of this federal funding allocation went to “migrant education,” according to a review by the Learning Policy Institute. The institute estimated Tennessee stands to lose more than $106 million under the freeze, slightly less than the $118.9 million total provided by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, the Democratic vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee who also sits on the Senate Education Committee.
Nashville Metro Schools did not receive any money last year from Title I-C, which funds migrant education, while MSCS was projected to receive less than $60,000 for the upcoming year, a tiny portion of the district’s $1.9 billion budget.
In Nashville, the district said it does not anticipate any immediate impacts on programming but is following the issue closely.
“These congressionally mandated programs support essential services for our students—including those who are learning English, need additional academic support, or benefit from extended learning opportunities—and help ensure we have effective educators in every classroom,” district spokesperson Sean Braisted said in an email. “We support efforts to fully fund these programs at or above previous levels.”
Child care advocates are raising alarms about the funding freeze’s effect on before- and after-school programs, which are vital in states like Tennessee with skyrocketing child care costs. Last week, Boys & Girls Club CEO Jim Clark warned the loss of 21st Century Community Learning Center funding, which supports extracurricular programs, could decimate hundreds of clubs across the country.
Tennessee received more than $23 million to support these programs last year, according to the AfterSchool Alliance, with about $3.2 million going to local Boys & Girls Clubs. Those clubs are not likely to close their doors but could be forced to pull back on programs such as additional tutoring and enrichment experiences.
Bart McFadden, the interim executive director for the Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee, said no clubs in the state are exclusively federally funded, and they will be able to withstand the freeze.
“This is a pause, and we don’t know what it’s ultimately going to mean as we get into the school year. We’re hopeful these funds are released,” McFadden said. “If they’re not, plans are in place to mitigate the impact so that our blue doors, as we call them, are open for kids.”
Melissa Brown is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact Melissa at mbrown@chalkbeat.org.
Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.
