Last week, Democrats in Congress demanded action by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to release a hold on nearly $7 billion in K-12 and adult education funds that were due to schools on July 1. “We are shocked by the continued lack of respect for states and local schools,” a letter by Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and 32 Senate Democrats said, and also indicated that the decision will result in budget cuts in every state and is already having an immediate impact on schools and summer programs. Lawmakers also asserted that the withholding of funds violates the terms of the Fiscal Year 2025 funding law. Similarly, amid concerns about the impacts of withholding federal K-12 education funds from schools, COPAA has signed a letter alongside local, state, and national stakeholders that promotes the immediate release of funds. That letter is timed to go to the Administration later this week. As a reminder, the withholding of K-12 funds, which are authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and were appropriated dollars by Congress in March, includes these ESEA dollars: Title I-C for migrant education ($375 million), Title II-A for professional development ($2.2 billion), Title III-A for English-learner services ($890 million), Title IV-A for academic enrichment ($1.3 billion), and Title IV-B for before- and after-school programs ($1.4 billion). For clarity, federal funds that come to states under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Title I of the ESEA are not impacted and have been disbursed to states.