by (Recorder of Georgia) In a brief meeting on Tuesday, the Georgia Board of Education allocated $48.2 million in federal funding that had been frozen to organizations that offer children’s summer and after-school programs.
The Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network’s director, Katie Landes, hailed the vote as a win for parents and students.
In a statement, Landes added, “The anticipated funds’ release brings tremendous relief to schools and community-based programs statewide.” Sustaining programming and lowering uncertainty require steady funding, especially for many people in the final days before the school year begins.
When the Trump administration said at the end of June that it would block $6.8 billion in federal monies nationally, the funding for the initiatives, known as 21st Century Community Learning Centers, came under scrutiny. Dollars for migrant education, English as a second language, college and career counseling, and other programs were among the pauses that were notified the day before the funds were scheduled to be disbursed.On July 29, 2025, the Georgia State Board of Education convenes virtually to disburse the funds that were previously frozen. (Image/YouTube Channel: Georgia Department of Education streaming)
Although a congressional act would be necessary to completely eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, the Trump administration has indicated ambitions to destroy it and give its responsibilities back to the states.
Bipartisan criticism of the freeze included a letter signed by ten Republican senators to Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, requesting that the funding be reinstated.
The Department of Education unfrozen the remaining money for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program a week after the administration announced on July 18 that it would release the first portion of the monies.
The state board of education’s head, Stan DeJarnett, said he anticipates the board will soon vote to approve the remaining unfrozen monies.
We do not yet have the actual fund amounts for these various categories, notwithstanding the announcement last Friday that the remaining federal funds would be released. They are therefore not on the schedule for this morning for that reason. Therefore, once we have additional instructions regarding the size of the appropriation in each of those federal fund categories, we might be holding this meeting again very shortly.
