$33M in Hawaiʻi school funding is in jeopardy
Posted: July 14, 2025
Hawaiʻi joined more than 20 states on Monday to sue President Donald Trump’s administration over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, summer programs and more.
The states lost funding for after-school and summer programs, teacher training, English language learners and support for the children of migrant farmworkers, among other initiatives, as part of the June 30 freeze on more than $6 billion that the states say was allocated by Congress.
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education estimates that approximately $33 million in federal funds has been delayed by the Trump administration.
In a statement, HIDOE said it “is evaluating immediate and potential impacts” of the funding delay.
Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families. But Trump’s administration recently froze the funding, saying it wants to ensure programs align with the Republican president’s priorities.
The lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the funds are not released soon, according to the lawsuit. In some states, school starts in late July and early August. The U.S. Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rural and Republican-led areas especially affected
Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants, the Associated Press reported. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. New America’s analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states.
Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze.
“I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump,” said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. “In Georgia, we’re getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.”
The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.
But Congress’ appropriation of the money was in a bill signed by Trump himself, said Maurice “Mo” Green, North Carolina’s superintendent of public education. “To now suggest that, for some reason, this money is somehow or another needing review because of someone’s agenda, I think is deeply troubling,” Green told reporters Monday after North Carolina joined the federal lawsuit.
In North Carolina, about 40 schools are already in session, so the state is already trying to figure out ways to keep programs going, using state and local money, along with some federal money that has not expired.
The freeze affects programs including mental health services, science and math education, and support for students learning English, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said, with the most severe effects in smaller, rural school districts. The freeze could also lead to approximately 1,000 teachers and staff being laid off, Jackson said.
Read more about the lawsuit and impacts of the Trump administration’s education funding freeze.