Trump’s unlawful withholding of federal school funding falls hardest on rural, high-need districts

The Trump administration is unlawfully cutting North Carolina school budgets by $154 million. This amount is significant as $154 million could hire 1,960 new teachers or provide existing teachers with a 3 percent pay raise.

The Trump administration announced on June 30 that they will be withholding the following federal grants that have been appropriated by Congress. Dollar amounts indicate the amount North Carolina received for these programs in the prior year.

Title I-C for migrant education: Funds programs meeting the special educational needs of children of migrant agricultural workers. ($4,427,798)

Title II-A for professional development: Increases the academic achievement of all students by ensuring that all teachers are highly qualified to teach through additional professional development opportunities. ($62,575,745)

Title III-A for English-learner services: Supports English Learners (ELs), including immigrant children and youth, in achieving English proficiency, academic excellence, and meeting state standards. ($18,371,807)

Title IV-A for academic enrichment: Boosts students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of schools to provide students with access to a well-rounded education, improving school conditions for student learning, and expanding the use of technology. ($35,383,224)

Title IV-B for before- and after-school programs: The program supports low-performing schools by establishing or expanding community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low performing schools. ($33,219,241)

As a result of this impoundment of funding authorized by Congress, school districts across the state will be required to slash student services. These cuts will disproportionately fall upon rural districts and districts with the greatest share of students experiencing poverty.

The table below shows the ten districts that will receive the largest per-student funding cuts due to Trump’s latest unlawful impoundment, based on prior school year funding.

District	Trump Cut per Student
Avery County Schools	$580
Ashe County Schools	$434
Polk County Schools	$387
Graham County Schools	$376
Whiteville City Schools	$312
Camden County Schools	$285
Bladen County Schools	$262
Cherokee County Schools	$248
Northampton County Schools	$216
Tyrrell County Schools	$203

The disproportionate impact of these unlawful cuts becomes more apparent when looking at the average per-student funding cut by district type (as classified by the federal Common Core of Data).

It remains to be seen whether North Carolina’s Congressional delegation will assert their authority to ensure this funding ends up reaching districts or if legal challenges might end the impoundment. Either way, the uncertainty is already requiring school districts to make harmful budget reductions at a time when our schools are already suffering from unconstitutionally low levels of funding.