Deluzio Calls on Dept. of Education to Restore $7 Billion in K-12 & Adult Education Funding
CARNEGIE, PA – Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education and the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget demanding that they reverse their decision to illegally withhold nearly $7 billion dollars of funding for K-12 schools and adult education from states and local school districts around the country. In the letter, Congressman Deluzio joins 149 of his fellow lawmakers in insisting that the funding be immediately released after hearing intense concern from over a dozen school districts in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District.
“This unnecessary delay of education funding, which accounts for at least 10 percent of federal K-12 funding in every state, is alarming parents, local elected officials, and education agencies. It is disrupting school and district planning, jeopardizing the education of millions of students, and is already resulting in layoffs as well as program delays and cancellations, write the Members of Congress in their letter to Administration officials. “There is no legitimate reason why any review of these programs should prevent the Administration from fulfilling its responsibility to the American people on time. No more excuses – follow the law and release the funding meant for our schools, teachers, and families.”
The Trump Administration’s actions here are threatening to take away $230 million from Pennsylvania's schools. This week, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the Administration’s unlawful withholding of funds from the Commonwealth’s kids and schools.
The full letter is available here and is copied below:
LETTER TEXT
July 10, 2025
The Honorable Linda McMahon
Secretary of Education
United States Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20002
The Honorable Russell Vought
Director Office of Management and Budget
Executive Office of the President
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20503
Secretary McMahon and Director Vought,
We write to request more information about your decision to illegally withhold nearly $7 billion dollars of funding for K-12 schools and adult education from states and local school districts around the country and to insist that this funding be immediately released. Without these funds, schools are facing difficult and unnecessary decisions on programs for students and teachers.
On June 30, 2025, just one day before these funds become available for obligation, the Department notified states that they would not receive these funds by July 1 and that “[g]iven the change in Administrations, the Department is reviewing the FY 2025 funding … and decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year.” This late-breaking decision, which provided no timeline for which states can expect a final decision, is leaving states financially vulnerable and forcing many to make last minute decisions about how to proceed with K12 education in this upcoming school year. The education funding withheld by the Administration reflects resources provided by Congress that are designed to help schools with a variety of issues, including student learning and achievement, after-school programs, and teacher training. Additionally, education funding provided by Congress to help with adult education and literacy is also being withheld.2
This unnecessary delay of education funding, which accounts for at least 10 percent of federal K-12 funding in every state, is alarming parents, local elected officials, and education agencies. It is disrupting school and district planning, jeopardizing the education of millions of students, and is already resulting in layoffs as well as program delays and cancellations.3 Further, it is causing concern to adult education programs that are faced with similar decisions without immediate access to expected funding.
Accordingly, please provide responses to the following questions no later than July 15, 2025.
- When will the Administration finish its review and release the funding provided by Congress to states to use for the school year beginning next month?
- Has the Administration done any outreach or offered any sort of support for state and local education agencies to assist them and their partners in navigating this period of uncertainty?
- If the Administration knew it wanted to review these funds, why didn’t this review start earlier in the year? Was the review or the timely release of funds affected by the lack of staff at the Department, which is a direct result of the reductions in force (RIFs) executed by the Administration?
There is no legitimate reason why any review of these programs should prevent the Administration from fulfilling its responsibility to the American people on time. No more excuses – follow the law and release the funding meant for our schools, teachers, and families.
We look forward to hearing from you and seeing these dollars allocated immediately.
Sincerely,
(signatories)
1. Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I-C, 20 U.S.C. 6391 et seq., Title II-A, 20 U.S.C. 6611 et seq., Title III-A, 20 U.S.C. 6812 et seq., Title IV-A, 20 U.S.C. 7111 et seq., Title IV-B, 20 U.S.C. 7171 et seq.; https://www.npr.org/2025/07/01/nx-s1-5453457/trump-school-funding-grants
2. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Title II, 29 U.S.C. 3271 et seq
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