PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Tonya Harris at (202) 393-2427
July 1, 2025 or tharris@cgcs.org
Urban Schools Coalition Urges Administration to Immediately Release
Critical Federal Education Funding Approved by Congress
The federal funding was signed into law by President Trump in March
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 1 —The Council of the Great City Schools, the nation’s primary coalition of large urban public-school systems, calls on the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Office of Management and Budget to immediately release funding approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in March.
Districts have budgeted and planned the use of these program allocations since Congress passed the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution in March to continue federal education funding at the same level as the previous school year. This enacted legislation requires the Trump Administration to allocate funds by July 1, and the Council urges their immediate release to avoid understaffed classrooms, layoffs or budget deficits where staff have already been hired for the year, and a significant disruption to learning environments across the nation.
“Withholding this vital federal funding from school districts two weeks before schools begin the new academic year is unacceptable,” said Council Executive Director Ray Hart. “School districts rely on these funds to pay teachers and principals, provide school safety, support children and families with after-school and summer school programming, and offer academic enrichment to millions of students across the country.”
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About the Council of the Great City Schools
The Council of the Great City Schools is the only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools. Composed of 81 large city school districts, its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research, and media relations. For more information, visit www.cgcs.org
