Trump Administration Freezes $6.8 Billion in School Funding — Virginia Loses $113.4 Million

July 10, 2025

On June 30, 2025, the Trump administration notified state education departments across the country that it would be withholding $6.8 billion in previously approved federal funding for public schools. These funds, traditionally released on July 1 to support essential student services, teacher development, and programs serving vulnerable student populations, were abruptly frozen without warning and without a clear timeline for release.

For Virginia, this decision means devastating consequences for every school division in the Commonwealth. We’ve compiled a detailed estimate of federal funding loss by division, which totals $113.4 million. Statewide, this freeze represents a loss equivalent to 1,104 full-time teacher jobs across Virginia. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent real consequences for real students, educators, and communities.

What Programs Are at Risk?

The $113.4 million in frozen federal funds directly affects several cornerstone education programs. Here’s what’s at stake:

Title I-C (Migrant Education): Designed to meet the unique needs of students whose families work in seasonal or temporary agricultural jobs, Title I-C ensures continuity of education despite frequent moves. These funds support academic tutoring, health services, transportation, and outreach to families who often fall through the cracks.

Without Title I-C funds: Students could miss critical instructional time, families may lack translation services or outreach, and programs tailored to migrant students’ needs may vanish altogether. Five divisions in Virginia received Title I-C funds in FY25 and of those, Northampton and Westmoreland counties stand to lose the largest sums, both losing over $40 per student. Accomack loses $35 per student.

Title II-A (Supporting Effective Instruction): Helps schools recruit, train, and retain highly qualified educators. Title II-A funds professional development, mentorship programs for new teachers, and efforts to reduce class sizes.

Without Title II-A funds: Divisions will struggle to provide ongoing training, especially in high-need schools. New teachers may lack support, and staffing challenges will worsen. Due to their size, large divisions dotting Virginia’s “Urban Crescent” would lose the most, with Fairfax alone losing $3.3 million. However, on a per student basis, smaller divisions in the Southside and Tidewater areas lose more – Franklin City loses nearly $100 per student. Martinsville, Petersburg, Danville, Northampton, and Brunswick all lose at least $85 per student.

Title III-A (English Language Acquisition): Title III supports programs for English learners (ELs), helping students achieve English proficiency while meeting challenging academic standards. Funds often go toward bilingual staff, EL specialists, responsive curriculum, and family engagement efforts.

Without Title III-A funds: Schools may have to cut EL support staff, scale back translation services for families, and reduce tailored academic interventions for multilingual learners. These cuts would disproportionately harm immigrant communities – communities that are now under political and cultural attack, facing rhetoric, policies, and inhumane treatment that marginalize their presence and diminish their contributions to public education. Again, large divisions ($4.5 million in Fairfax, $2.2 million in Prince William, $1.3 million in Loudoun) lose the most in total funding but divisions with higher shares of EL students lose the most on a per student basis, with Manassas City, Manassas Park, Alexandria, and Harrisonburg all losing more than $45 per student.

Title IV-A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment): These flexible grants are meant to give students access to a well-rounded education, improve school climate and safety, and increase access to technology. Divisions use this funding to expand music and arts education, implement social-emotional learning, purchase edtech tools, and improve counseling services.

Without Title IV-A funds: Schools may cut arts programs, cancel STEM enrichment activities, lose critical mental health resources, and fall further behind in addressing the digital divide. Like Title II-A, large divisions lose the most in total funding, but smaller divisions lose more on a per student basis – Craig, Surry, Buena Vista, Lancaster, Middlesex, Franklin City, Westmoreland, and Lunenburg all lose more than $250 per student.

Title IV-B (21st Century Community Learning Centers): This program funds after-school and summer programs that provide academic support, meals, and enrichment activities — especially in low-income communities. Programs are often housed directly in public schools and are a vital resource for working families.

Without Title IV-B funds: After-school programs could shut their doors, leaving students without safe, supervised spaces and families without affordable care or academic help for their children. Twenty-four of Virginia’s local school divisions received Title IV-B funds in FY25. Roanoke City, Hampton, Russell, and Richmond City lose the most in total funding (over $1 million each) while King and Queen, Russell, Cumberland, Northampton, and Bristol see the largest per pupil losses (all more than $350 per student).

Every Community is Impacted

As mentioned, the losses vary from division to division, but the impact is universal. Urban and suburban divisions like Fairfax, Richmond City, Virginia Beach and others face millions in withheld support, jeopardizing essential programming. Meanwhile, rural divisions with tighter margins, from Lee County to Accomack, may be forced to make devastating cuts to staff, enrichment programs, and family engagement efforts, and face among the largest per student cuts. At this time, the U.S. Department of Education has provided no clear guidance on when or if the funds will be restored.

Our Students Deserve Better

Virginia’s public schools are the heart of our communities. They deserve full, fair, and predictable funding. This freeze undermines the very foundation of public education and disproportionately harms the students who rely on it most.

We will not stand by. We will fight for every dollar, every program, and every student. The National Education Association is leading the charge to file litigation to release all of the impounded funds previously appropriated to our schools.

Did you Know?

Teacher shortages are a serious issue across the country. Here in Virginia, there are currently over 3,648 unfilled teaching positions. (FY23)

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