MANCHESTER, NH – As the federal government decided to release the entirety of the $7 billion in education funding for schools across the country last week, New Hampshire school districts are relieved to receive their share.
“Without these funds in place, the District would suffer a significant impact to our 21st Century before and after-school programming, which provides affordable childcare that supports the academic growth of our students,” as per an official statement from the Manchester School District.
This decision to disburse funding comes days after the Trump administration decided to withhold education awards from states for the upcoming fiscal year just before the July 1 deadline.
“Within the U.S. Department of Education’s notification to release the funding [included] important parameters to ensure the grants are distributed according to their intended purpose, and we look forward to working with the schools to maximize the grants for the students of New Hampshire,” said Kimberly Houghton, Communications Administrator at the N.H. Department of Education.
Before the U.S. DOE’s announcement, Gov. Ayotte met with U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon multiple times to secure funds for the Granite State, and in a news release thanked her for responding to the concerns of Granite Staters.
Every year on July 1, thousands of school districts across each state are allocated federal education money approved by Congress to keep operations—including staff salaries, technological upgrades, curriculum—running. This year, on June 30th the U.S. DOE notified school districts that funds under Title I-C for migrant education, Title II-A for professional development, Title III-A for English-learner services, Title IV-A for academic enrichment and Title IV-B for before- and after-school programs won’t be disbursed.
However, a part of that decision was reversed when almost $6.5 million of the $27 million owed to New Hampshire was distributed to schools on July 21, under the Title IV-B grant, which helps summer programs and before-and-after-school programs such as the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program .
The community learning centers provide low-cost after school and summer programming for students most in need through academic support in math and reading, safe and supervised care after school, family-engagement resources and STEM-classes.
“The release of $6,548,640 to support these [educational] centers is an important step to ensuring that students throughout the state receive important academic enrichment opportunities through before- and after-school programs, as well as summer learning programs,” N.H. Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a news release last week.
In the Manchester School District almost 38 staff and 1,000 students across 13 schools benefit from Title IV-B grants, while some of the remaining funds under Title III go toward helping almost 2400 students with limited English proficiency to receive better education.
Without this funding, the most vulnerable students in Southern New Hampshire would lose access to essential academic and social supports that contribute directly to their long-term success.
Meanwhile in Nashua, almost 350 students across 7 learning centers are enrolled in the 21st Century program.
As per an official statement, there is no clarity on how much of the remaining funds will be doled out to Nashua School District, and if the amount will be on par with previous years—nearly $600,000 just under Title IV B. The district is apprehensive about loss of services in case funding is slashed.
“If funding is reduced or eliminated, the district would face difficult decisions, including: possible layoffs of staff specifically hired for 21st Century programming; potential closure of sites and elimination of services; loss of a structured, supportive environment for hundreds of students,” Krystal De Gray, Chief Operating Officer of Nashua School District said in an email.
With uncertainty around sustainability of federal funding for public education, school districts live in limbo, and will have to rely on newer revenue streams to keep programs running.
“If this funding is reduced or discontinued in future years, we may be forced to seek support from local partners or absorb the program costs into our general operating budget—both of which could create a significant financial impact,” De Gray said in the issued statement.
Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, a long-standing advocate of public education, claimed credit for the reversed course on funding freeze, and welcomed the Trump administration’s decision.
“New Hampshire’s educators have been standing up to bullies for a long time, but they didn’t need one in the White House,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander in a news release last week. “I’m glad to see that after fierce advocacy and legal challenges, the federal funding promised to our schools will finally be released. I will never let our public schools be pushed around.”