The Trump administration suddenly cut off $168 million in federal funding for Full-Service Community Schools programs in 11 states and Washington, D.C. School leaders and advocates said this decision took away essential supports like tutoring, after-school activities, and counseling right in the middle of the school year.
The Education Department confirmed it canceled the grants in mid-December after finding that some applications included language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The administration said this did not match its priorities. The funding was officially halted on Jan. 1, leaving districts in a tough spot as they tried to find replacement funds when budgets were already set and staffing plans were in place.
The Full-Service Community Schools program helps create partnerships that turn schools into centers for more than just traditional learning. This includes health referrals, mental health help, family outreach, and programs that supervise students after school. Advocates pointed out that the abrupt funding cut stopped services like dental exams, parenting classes, tutoring, and counseling.
At the Family Academy of Multilingual Exploration in New Haven, Connecticut, the loss of federal funds threatened a new community school initiative designed to provide after-school programs for students from mainly Spanish-speaking families, according to The Washington Post. Principal Marisol Rodríguez said students looked forward to these programs and depended on them for safe, structured activities. “They look forward to it, and it keeps the kids off the streets,” Rodríguez told the newspaper.
Schools in the affected states began cutting hours, postponing services, and laying off staff brought in to coordinate family support and mental health referrals, as reported by Education Week. The cuts led to job losses and raised the threat of broader layoffs if districts could not find replacement funds.
In Illinois, the nonprofit ACT Now Illinois stated the administration informed them the grant would end on Dec. 31, cutting planned funding for services at many schools, including tutoring and family programs, according to WBEZ. Susan Stanton, the organization’s executive director, told WBEZ the grant was supposed to provide $18 million in 2026 and more funding in later years before it was canceled.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced the state would allocate $4.5 million to restore the canceled community school grants for districts such as Hartford, New Haven, and Waterbury, according to CT Insider. This funding came from a state contingency account that officials described as a backup against federal cuts, as reported by CT Insider.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said the cancellations harmed school-based services that families rely on and called for the program to be restored, according to a statement from her office after the December action.
These cuts affected a program that had grown rapidly in recent years. The Washington Post noted that annual funding for the community schools grant increased from $25 million in fiscal 2020 to $150 million under the Biden administration, based on data from the Education Department cited by the newspaper.
Several lawsuits and bipartisan political backlash after the administration ended the grants, with districts and advocates arguing that the cancellations broke federal law and interfered with crucial student services.
The Washington Post reported that principals and superintendents had to look for emergency funds to keep programs running, even as supports for students’ mental health and academic recovery from pandemic-related interruptions faced sudden disruptions.
The administration has not yet announced a new funding source for the canceled grants. Districts and nonprofit partners plan to keep searching for temporary funding while legal cases and federal reviews continue, but many schools warned that without ongoing support, the programs students depend on could shrink even more as the year goes on.
