By David L. Snelling

Miami- The U.S. Department of Education has frozen funding for public schools in Florida and beyond, placing programs for low-income and vulnerable students in peril ahead of the 2025-2026 school year.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent school districts around the nation a letter stating the President Trump administration is pausing roughly $7.2 billion in funding pending review of the programs.

The announcement comes as school districts are preparing their budgets and left scrambling to offset the unexpected budget shortfall by seeking funding elsewhere to keep the programs running.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the third largest school district in the nation, faces a $45 million loss of federal grants for programs to empower impoverished students and after school projects.

The funding, which was approved by Congress in March, would have supported migrant education, teacher development, English-language instruction, and other services for high-need populations.

Miami-Dade School Board member Steven Gallon III said all Miami-Dade schools will be feeling the impact.

“We’re talking about students who are English language learners,” he told reporters. “Those students are in almost every school in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.”

Gallon said the school district is projecting a $45 million shortfall for academic enrichment and after school programs.

The funding was scheduled to roll in around July 1, but school officials were blindsided by the sudden funding pause.

The money will not be released pending review of the programs, and no further explanation was given by the U.S. Department of Education.

“We don’t understand what review means,” Gallon said. “But we had anticipated the narrative, but we could not have anticipated a $45 million cut in July.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the funding pause while programs are under review are $375 million for migrant education, $2.2 billion for professional development, $890 million for English-learner services, $1.3 billion for academic enrichment, and $1.4 billion for before-and-after school programs.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, school districts in Florida might lose a total of $400 million if the funding freeze is not lifted.

Broward County School Board member Dr. Allen Zeman said the school district, which is the sixth largest in the nation, could lose $30 million in grants if the funds are not released.

“In our district, 14,000 teachers depend on these funds to become better teachers,” he said. “This is after school programs and before school programs where kids learn more, this is a student whose first language isn’t English getting an extra hour a day of English work so they can learn in their other subjects, this is why it’s crippling,” Zeman explained.

Steven King, a media relations specialist for Palm Beach County Public Schools, said the funding pause impacts six key federal programs, totaling the district $31,482,353.

Migrant education, professional development, professional development and English-Learner services are among those affected ahead of the 2025-2026 school year.

“A hold in releasing these previously appropriated funds would create significant challenges, requiring the School District to eliminate services that support our students and educators,” King said in a statement to the South Florida Times. “This would jeopardize reading and academic support for students, pause essential training for teachers and principals, and reduce after-school programs for families.”

Jodi Grant of the Afterschool Alliance said programs were expected to be funded throughout the summer but now that might be highly impossible.

“So, there are places where some of the summer camps, summer learning programs won’t be able to continue,” she said in a statement. “And then we are just hearing from suppliers across the country that are extremely alarmed that they may have to close their doors before school opens.”