School funding freeze explained, discussed in forum

Pinellas County Schools (PCS) officials held a community forum discussing the federal education funding freeze Thursday at the organization’s administrative building in Largo. 

On June 30, the U.S. Department of Education froze a total of $6.8 billion previously allocated education grant funds, including approximately $400 million statewide at the direction of the Trump Administration. PCS was to receive $9 million of the funds. 

The unexpected freeze came just a day before the start of the district’s fiscal year and a little more than a month before classes begin. 

The funds were “frozen for review with no timeline on when or if those funds would be released,” Kevin Hendrick, Superintendent, Pinellas County Schools said in the presentation. 

When Hendrick and the Pinellas County School Board reviewed the budget for fiscal year 2026 in June, they suspected federal funds would decrease “because of changing priorities in Washington D.C.” 

However, they “anticipated” receiving the federal grant funds that were ultimately frozen. Hendrick was clear that Pinellas County Schools officials are advocating for the release of the funds. 

“Program reviews for compliance are reasonable, the timing of this review is not reasonable,” Hendrick explained.  

The funds affected are Title II, Title III, Title IV and Adult Education and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education-based grants. 

Title II, Part A funding supports programs that relate to professional development and instructional coaching. Funding under the Title III, Part A classification helps schools offer English language instruction for immigrant students and multilingual learners. 

Title IV, Part A funding is focused on providing children with a more well-rounded education through enrichment programs, mental health resources and technology. 

There is a Part B related to Title IV funding, which includes support for after-school and summer enrichment programs for qualifying students. Part B funds were released Monday. 

Adult Education and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education funds back literacy and workforce readiness programs for adult learners. 

Decisions about the short-term future of programs and staff have had to be made quickly. “We don’t have a month, or two months or six months to figure this out. We have to act on this now,” Hendrick said. 

No PCS employee will lose their job and their salary will stay the same for the upcoming school year. However, some staff members will have to switch positions. 

“We have to find other places for those individuals and we have to find other ways to either eliminate or accommodate the programs that they were running or the support that they provided to our children in our county,” he added. 

For instance, 13 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers in the district will have to become vacant classroom instructors. 

Positions and salaries will be impacted in the 2026-2027 school year. Programs will be cut as well, including various professional development opportunities for teachers. Some enrichment activities, including a hands-on mobile STEM lab for middle school students, will be eliminated. 

PCS does have rollover grant funds from last year, roughly $2 million, that can be used to help with budget adjustments for fiscal year 2026. The organization also has about $1 million saved in reserved funds for unexpected expenses relating to education enrichment. 

Additionally, PCS has partnered with the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County to provide extra mental health services for students, which would have been covered by Title IV, Part A funding. The Board has made a contribution of $600,000 to fund the program. 

As for the long-term impact of the freeze, it is yet to be determined, Hendrick explained. The current budget cuts are in a draft stage and the funds could be released.  

The PCS team was able to get U.S. representatives Anna Paulina Luna of District 13 and Kathy Castor of District 14 to write letters to the federal government encouraging a release. 

 Eileen M. Long, Pinellas County School Board member, spoke honestly about the implications. 

“We are really feeling this impact. This is my 44th year here at Pinellas County Schools. I taught for 34 years,” she said. 

“This is heartbreaking. This is the only career I’ve ever known and I love our children. My two children are products of PCS and we all benefit from their education.” 

Read the article as originally published at https://stpetecatalyst.com/school-funding-freeze-explained-discussed-in-forum/