How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Attorney General’s Office on Thursday confirmed that the U.S. Department of Education has released a billion dollars of education funding to California a month after the federal agency said it had frozen the funds for programs including those benefiting English learners, migrant students, adult learners and those relying on community learning centers.
That funding released to California includes $1.2 million to Lake County schools, as Lake County News has reported.
On June 30, a day before the start of the new school year, the U.S. Department of Education announced the freeze or “impoundment of federal funds.”
The funding that was frozen totaled $6 billion nationwide for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the funding from those program are used for services including educational programs for migrant children and English learners; programs that promote effective classroom instruction, improve school conditions and the use of technology in the classroom; community learning centers that offer students a broad range of opportunities for academic and extracurricular enrichment; and adult education and workforce development efforts.
Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg said the action was expected to result in $1.2 million being withheld from county schools — or about 16.5% of its over $7 million in total federal funds allocation — months after school budgets were set for the coming school year.
On July 14, Attorney General Bonta co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two states together in filing a lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that the freeze violated federal funding statutes and regulations authorizing the programs and appropriating funds for them, federal statutes governing the federal budgeting process and the constitutional separation of powers doctrine and the Presentment Clause.
Then, on July 25, the California Department of Education received notice that beginning the week of July 28, the U.S. Department of Education would begin releasing previously impounded federal funds for the current federal and education fiscal year.
“The Trump Administration has officially reversed course on its blatantly illegal, misguided effort to freeze critical education funds weeks before the school year was set to start,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Let’s be clear: This funding should never have been frozen in the first place – that’s why we filed our lawsuit. We’re glad to see the Administration back down from its illegal effort to withhold these funds, but we can’t lose sight of the long-term damage caused by the President’s campaign of chaos and uncertainty. California will not stop fighting to hold the President and his Administration accountable to the law and to protect our children’s educational future.”
The state Department of Education received grant award notifications on Wednesday confirming that the entirety of the funds that ED was required to make available to the states on July 1 was being released.
“California schools have been waiting for these resources to serve students, and now nearly $1 billion of illegally impounded federal education funds will finally reach our classrooms,” said California State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond. “The Trump administration’s delay created unacceptable uncertainty for our schools and harmed many of our most vulnerable students. However, we are moving swiftly to ensure these funds support students, educators, and school communities without further interruption.”
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