LARGO, Fla. — More than a thousand people attended a Thursday night meeting hosted by Pinellas County Schools, because most, if not all, of the attendees are worried about the future of education in the district due to a current federal funding freeze.
Brittnie Blunt showed up to advocate for her two daughters.
“I feel like if I don’t fight, then no one would hear their voices,” she said.
WATCH: Pinellas superintendent says timing of federal education funding freeze was unreasonable
Right now, a federal funding freeze is being felt at Pinellas County Schools and in districts across the state and country.
In memos sent to states, the U.S. Department of Education says it froze the funds to make sure “taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities.”
The freeze is keeping almost $400 million from flowing to school districts across the State of Florida, including $9 million to Pinellas County Schools.
In the Thursday town hall meeting, Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said reviewing the use of taxpayer dollars is reasonable. However, he said the timing of the review is not reasonable.
The district learned of the freeze just weeks before the start of the school year and does not know if and when they will be released.
“That’s part of the problem here is we don’t know,” Hendrick said. “And so, could they be repurposed? They could. Could they be never given out? They could.”
Whitney Fox, who attended the town hall, says the freeze should not have happened, since the funds were already allocated and approved by the U.S. Congress.
Fox, the Democrat who ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) in 2024, is calling on Luna and other members of Congress to speak up against the freeze.
“Our representatives…should be speaking up and saying something,” Fox said.
In the town hall, spokespersons for both Rep. Luna and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) said both have sent letters to the Trump Administration asking for the funds to be released to school districts.
However, there is still uncertainty, and in Pinellas County, there’s growing anxiety that programs and jobs supported by the funding might eventually be cut.
“If plans are changing or whatever the situation might be, just bring closure to the situation, because our employees return to work on August 1,” Hendrick said. “That’s next week.”
Even though roughly $1 million of the district’s federal grant funding — the portion that supports after-school programs — has been released to district, roughly $8 million more is still frozen. That money supports professional development for teachers and mental health services for students.
Pinellas County Schools isn’t the only district sounding the alarm.
The Florida PTA has joined a federal lawsuit urging the U.S. Department of Education to release the funds, and the PTA presidents in both Hillsborough and Pasco Counties support that effort.
“We are hoping that this lawsuit will help get those funds released,” said Erin Kelley with the Pasco County Council PTA.
“It’s worrisome,” added Kimberly McDonough with the Hillsborough County Council of PTA. “Our children deserve much better than uncertainty.”
In Pinellas County, there is some silver lining.
According to Hendrick, the district’s food service will not be impacted. Services for disabled students will not be impacted either.
He said positions and salaries that are potentially impacted by the federal freeze will not be eliminated during the current budget year. However, programs could be modified or eliminated in future budget years.
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