Colorado education leaders urge Trump to release $70 million in K-12 school funding

Colorado learning leaders on Wednesday demanded that the Trump administration at once release roughly million in withheld K- funds saying that without the money specific school classrooms could be without teachers and districts will need to slash programs and services for students Their calls which were echoed by Gov Jared Polis and other Democratic leaders came after the U S Department of Development withheld that money Tuesday along with billions in K- funding nationwide pending a review The federal establishment has not explained why the money is being held up or if it s coming at all beyond saying that the administration wants to make sure the grants align with President Donald Trump s priorities This action is not just a logistical situation it is a moral and constitutional breach Denver Population Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero and Board of Schooling President Carrie Olson wrote in a joint report Wednesday The decision to delay the distribution of congressionally appropriated instruction funds is a dangerous overreach of executive authority and a direct affront to community schooling especially for communities that rely bulk heavily on these supports Marrero and Olson commented DPS the state s largest school district faces a million to million shortfall in its billion-dollar budget if the federal governing body doesn t release the K- money it has withheld The funding was required by law to go to states Tuesday to be used for multilingual students tutor training and afterschool programs This funding for our schools is already obligated and it s absurd that the federal regime withheld it Polis stated in a declaration The funding freeze is a direct attack on children families and Colorado educators and would take away critical information from our schools Colorado advocates and DPS leaders explained in statements Wednesday that the money being withheld is funding that serves the state s most of vulnerable students including children from migrant families and those learning English as well as pupils from rural and low-income communities The delay or end of the money threatens bilingual guidance programs mental wellbeing promotion special development services and after-school programs for Latino Black and multilingual learners Marrero and Olson disclosed The absence of these guidance combined with the uncertainty about their future availability places an enormous burden on Colorado school districts that have already planned their budgets staffing and programs for the coming school year leaders of the Colorado Mentoring Association Colorado Association of School Executives Colorado Association of School Boards and the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance disclosed in a joint announcement This delay will almost certainly force school leaders to make intricate choices including scaling back or eliminating essential services that students and families count on they added Related Articles Trump administration withholds million in K- school funding from Colorado Colorado school districts brace for K- budget crunch by not filling jobs offering smaller raises Metro Denver school districts curtail educator raises as budget pressures mount The decision by the Trump administration to withhold the money comes at a laborious time for Colorado s K- districts which are already facing budget constraints at the state level and have explained that the end of federal funding would lead to bigger cuts even layoffs for schools The Trump administration has threatened to pull funding from K- districts for what it calls illegal diversity equity and inclusion practices The president s budget proposal also called for Congress to eliminate the programs that are now under review Withholding these critical dollars just days before the new school year begins will aftermath in widespread disruption classrooms without teachers students without essential backing services and schools facing impossible budget shortfalls Marrero and Olson noted in their message Denver Constituents Schools stands with our colleagues across the country and demands the immediate release of these funds they added We will not sit idly by as our communities are left vulnerable and our children are forced to bear the cost of political gamesmanship Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter