BOISE, Idaho — Idaho's top education official says schools must "press pause" on certain programs as the Trump administration freezes more than $6 billion in federal education grants, impacting an estimated $33.3 million of the state's education budget.
"We're hoping that the review is quick. We want it to be thorough, but we also want it to be quick because our districts need to make decisions," Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield told Idaho News 6 in an exclusive interview.
Critchfield, speaking at an Idaho Lottery event on Tuesday, explained to Brady Caskey that while she supports reducing the Department of Education's bureaucracy, the timing of the funding freeze is challenging with students returning to classrooms in about six weeks.
"We're asking our school leaders to know what they can do with what they have now, press pause on other things, reassure parents that we're still going to be supporting kids, and things that we do this year may not be the things that we do next year," Critchfield said.
The superintendent added that she welcomes certain aspects of the federal changes despite the immediate challenges.
"The bureaucratic nature of the federal government is something that we haven't loved, and really detracts from what our schools are doing day in and day out. It takes away the focus off of students and achievement, and puts it onto reporting and paperwork and so for that reason we are very happy to see the reduction in the bureaucracy," Critchfield said.
School districts across the Treasure Valley are scrambling to adjust their budgets as the new school year approaches.
The Kuna School District faces a potential funding deficit of $513,215 for the upcoming school year if the funds remain frozen.
"We are exploring all options to fill the gap created by this potential loss of funds. With Idaho being the lowest funded State in per-pupil funding, any reduction in funding could mean less opportunities for kids," said Kuna School District Asst. Superintendent Jason Reddy.
Boise School District stands to lose $1.5 million that would typically come through Title IIA, Title IIIA, and Title IVA grants. Despite this challenge, BSD Superintendent Lisa Roberts said in a recent news release that the district remains committed to supporting its students.
"These federal programs are essential to providing professional learning for our staff, supporting multilingual learners, and offering safe and enriching learning opportunities for students." - Boise School District
In Emmett, the school district reports $406,000 is currently frozen in their budget. According to district officials, most of those funds go toward paying staff, including specialists and paraprofessionals.
West Ada School District remains uncertain about the impact they should expect from the funding freeze.
"We're monitoring developments closely and will always stay focused on providing the best possible learning opportunities for our students," a spokesperson for West Ada told Idaho News 6.
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