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Rep. Panetta, House Democrats demand release of education funding

James Herrera, Monterey Daily Herald on

Published in News & Features

MONTEREY, Calif. – U.S. House of Representative Democrats, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, are demanding the Trump Administration immediately release nearly $7 billion in congressionally approved federal education funding that is currently being withheld from schools across the nation, of which nearly $928 million would go to California.

Holding back the funds is already disrupting the lives of thousands of students, families, and educators in California’s 19th Congressional District, according to Panetta’s office. The freeze threatens programs that serve the most vulnerable students in the region, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, English language learners and those needing afterschool enrichment and adult education services.

“Due to this Administration’s decisions on funding for education, school districts across our country, California, and our community are stuck with more uncertainty just weeks before the school year begins,” said Panetta in a press release.

The Administration’s refusal to release these dollars undermines students and creates unnecessary confusion and hardship for schools, he said.

Schools in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo counties have already begun making tough choices, according to Panetta’s office. Many districts anticipated this funding in their budgets and are now grappling with how to proceed without it. Hiring freezes, delayed programming and cuts to staff and services are already being considered, even as the new school year looms just weeks away.

The uncertainty is particularly acute for rural and agricultural communities like Monterey County, where over 10,000 migrant students rely on support from the federal Migrant Education Program. Without these funds, academic and enrichment services, ranging from tutoring and summer learning to mental health care and college readiness, may be scaled back or eliminated according to Panetta’s office. In Santa Cruz County, Pajaro Valley Unified School District stands to lose $3 million for migrant education, $4.6 million for afterschool programs, and nearly $400,000 in adult learning services.

Panetta joined two official Congressional inquiries, one submitted by Democrats in the California delegation and another backed by 150 House Democrats nationwide, seeking answers and action on the withheld federal funding for local school systems, says his office. California has nearly 5.8 million K-12 students in its schools.

 

In the California inquiry, the members state, “These programs support some of the most vulnerable and underserved students and communities in California and have been demonstrated to have lifelong benefits to students’ educational attainment, income, and other measures of well-being. Each passing day that these funds are unlawfully withheld hurts our schools and students and strains already limited budgets.”

In the nationwide inquiry, the members state, “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.”

These federal funds, typically distributed on July 1, support a wide range of essential education programs, such as Migrant Education, serving children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, English Language Acquisition, supporting students learning English, Supporting Effective Instruction Grants, for teacher training and class size reduction, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, for afterschool and summer enrichment programs, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, funding STEM education, mental health services, and college readiness, Adult Basic Education and Literacy Grants, including civics and workforce readiness.

Panetta says that he and his colleagues are demanding immediate action to release these funds and restore the federal commitment to public education.

“Together, my congressional colleagues and I are, again, fighting back and working to get these funds flowing for our children, families, teachers, and communities,” he said.

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