Senator Jon Ossoff (D) has successfully pushed to restore funding for after-school programs in Georgia, despite the Trump Administration freezing it. The state is now set to receive $200 million through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.
If this funding remained unavailable, Georgia would have missed out on 15% of the federal funding received from the Department of Education.
The administration froze $7 billion in total nationwide as part of an attempt to have schools comply with new education standards.
Now, all of it has been released after a collaborative effort from U.S. senators, including Sen. Ossoff.
In a letter sent to the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, and Budget Director, Russell Vought, thirteen senators argued vehemently against the funding freeze.
The senators argued that withholding this funding will disrupt essential services and undermine support structures that students have come to rely on.
They also argued that no clear standards were laid out for schools to follow, so withholding funds that had already been accounted for does make sense.
Withholding the funds has also caused significant problems for schools. Administrators have been unable to finalize staffing, allocate resources, and prepare for the upcoming school year.
They wrote, “Federal education programs play a crucial role in advancing equity and expanding opportunity, especially for students from low-income and historically underserved communities.”
They continued, “With learning gaps widening and student needs growing more complex, limiting access to these resources risks deepening disparities and undermining progress across the education system.”
To conclude, the senators declared that Congress has a responsibility to ensure that funds are appropriated. They assert that the funds must be distributed according to federal law.
This is not the first time that Sen. Ossoff has worked to defend the education system. He has collaborated several times in defense of educational institutions and programs.
In April of this year, Sen. Ossoff and Senator Todd Young (R) introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at building and upgrading sports facilities across Georgia.
In March of this year, Sen. Ossoff urged Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to honor federal funds awarded to school districts.
