BARTOW, Fla. — Another local school district is sounding the alarm about a current federal funding freeze that’s keeping almost $400 million from flowing to school districts across the State of Florida.
Thursday afternoon, Polk County Public Schools sent a warning to staff members and students’ parents.
The district says it’s facing an immediate $2.5 million shortfall in state funding because of increased voucher and charter school allocations and a dual-enrollment miscalculation error.
WATCH: Polk County Public Schools says federal funding freeze could have alarming consequences
Additionally, $20 million of the district’s federal funding is currently frozen.
Stephanie Yocum, the president of the Polk Education Association, says the funding issues could be disastrous.
“Our district budgets do not have the wiggle to make up [a] loss of federal dollars that have already been allocated by this Congress,” she said.
Yocum, who’s been in communication with Superintendent Fred Heid, said the district has a short-term plan to navigate the funding chaos.
However, as the district warns in its letter to the public, 125 positions could be impacted in the long term if the federal funding is not unfrozen. As a result, multiple programs and services could be threatened, impacting the following:
- Migrant students
- English language learners
- Teacher recruitment and professional development
- Academic enrichment programs
- Adult education
“I mean, everybody’s on edge,” Yocum said.
In memos to state education departments, the U.S. Department of Education said it froze the funds and is reviewing them to make sure “taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.”
However, the pause is creating chaos not just in Polk County but in other counties too.
Pasco County is facing an $8.5 million federal funding freeze.
“We are proactively reviewing potential impacts and prioritizing services for students,” a Pasco County Schools spokesperson wrote.
Pinellas County Schools is staring down $9 million in frozen federal funding.
“We certainly hope that they’re unfrozen,” Laura Hine, the Pinellas County School Board Chair, told ABC Action News in a Thursday interview. “That would be the ideal situation.”
If the funds are not unfrozen, the district could lose student support staff like school psychologists/social workers and the ability to provide after-school programming for 350 families.
Federal and state funding issues are also impacting the Hernando County School District.
"In response to the recent federal and state policies, we have had to reduce programs and purchases in the affected areas by approximately 50 percent,” Ray Pinder, the superintendent, wrote in a statement. “We are working diligently to find solutions to help mitigate the impacts this will have on the programs and services we are able to provide to our students and families who benefit from these funds. There are currently no planned layoffs, although we have implemented a hold on all hiring related to the affected federal programs.”
Right now, Hillsborough County Public Schools is also monitoring the situation but has a more optimistic viewpoint.
“It is important to remember, as has been communicated to us, that these funds have not been taken away, rather, they are under review,” a district spokesperson wrote. “Though the grant period begins on July 1, the official grant notification does not come until October or sometimes November. So, at this time there is no impact to staff and students.”
Hillsborough County expects to receive roughly $24.1 million in federal funding.
Yocum’s attitude is not as upbeat. She’s urging Polk County parents and district employees to contact their members of Congress.
“This is just a snowball down hill if these dollars are not released,” she said. “This could be very disastrous.”
Hillsborough County crews work six days a week to improve stormwater drainage
The ongoing restoration work is part of a larger effort by Hillsborough County Public Works aimed at mitigating flooding risks throughout the area. Officials are hopeful that these improvements will provide a sense of safety during this hurricane season.
