Federal education funding freeze leaves millions in limbo for Fort Worth schools
School officials in Fort Worth and across Texas are scrambling to figure out how to replace millions of dollars in federal money that’s being held up as a part of the Trump administration’s freeze on education grant funding.
Federal officials announced at the end of June that they planned to withhold $6.8 billion in funding that Congress approved for education. More than half a billion dollars in federal grant money designated for Texas schools is tied up in the funding freeze.
U.S. Department of Education freezes millions in grants
On the afternoon of June 30, U.S. Department of Education officials sent states a three-sentence message notifying them that, “given the change in Administrations,” the department is reviewing funding for federal grant programs, including:
Title I, Part C – Migrant Education
Title II, Part A – Supporting Effective Instruction
Title III, Part A – English Language Acquisition
Title IV, Part A – Student Support and Academic Enrichment
Title IV, Part B – Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)
“Accordingly, the Department will not be issuing Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review,” officials wrote. “The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.”
Congress allocates federal grants to the states, which distribute that money to eligible school districts. The funding freeze includes $667 million that was allocated for Texas. All but $9 million of that is intended to go to school districts.
Fort Worth ISD reviewing positions, contracts affected by freeze
Fort Worth ISD’s chief financial officer, Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, wasn’t available for an interview for this story. In an emailed statement, spokeswoman Jessica Becerra said the district estimates about $10 million in federal funding designated for Fort Worth ISD is affected by the freeze. District leaders are reviewing what positions and contracts will be affected, she said. School leaders had already finalized plans for the upcoming school year, she said, so they now have to decide whether to delay those plans or pull money from other sources to pay for them.
In a July 3 letter to school districts, Texas Education Agency officials wrote that they have no information about when the funding might be released. While the agency expected to receive the grant funding on July 1, state officials noted that the federal government has until Sept. 30, 2026, to release the money to the states.
The largest share of Texas’ funding affected by the freeze — about $243 million — falls under Title II, Part A, according to Education Department records. School districts use that money to pay for professional development training for teachers and administrators. Roughly $140 million in Title III funding designated to support Texas students who are learning English is also tied up.
TEA officials said programs that aren’t listed in the Trump Administration’s letter aren’t affected by the freeze, and the agency continues to receive funding through those programs.
Among the programs not affected by the freeze are Title I, Part A funding for schools that serve large concentrations of low-income students, as well as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provides funding to support students with disabilities.
This story was originally published July 13, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
