KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When budget numbers suddenly might not add up, school districts in Kansas and Missouri may have to make hard choices after the U.S. Department of Education announced a freeze in funding on Wednesday.
“We’re going to make sure that every student gets what they deserve,” said David Smith, chief communications officer for the Shawnee Mission School District.
Area school districts face uncertainty as funding freeze looms
If the federal funds for schools aren’t available, the Shawnee Mission School District would lose $1 million.
“If we have to take money from this part of the budget in order to cover what we don’t receive from the federal government, this part of the budget would impact all students. It’s a little bit frustrating, or it’s very frustrating, that these programs target some of our students who need us the most,” Smith said.
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The amount of money frozen by the U.S. Department of Education varies with each school district.
The Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools could lose almost $4.9 million in critical funding.
A statement from the school district said more than $2 million pays for afterschool programs like KidZone, where students participate in enrichment and college preparation activities. More than $1 million was used for training, recruiting, and retaining teachers.
In a statement, KCKPS said the funding pause affects programs that “directly support some of our most vulnerable students,” including those from low-income families, English language learners, and students with disabilities.
The district said if the funding freeze continues, they will be forced to use other district funds to cover the shortfall.
Advocates for the KCK Public Schools fear problems will multiply.
“I mourn the loss of the expectation that my children will have many extracurricular activities available to them in the high school setting,” said Tricia McGhee, who is a mother of two Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools high school students.
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McGhee is also the Director of Communications for Revolución Educativa.
“It’s difficult for parents to express their exact concerns about this funding freeze because the majority of parents, myself included, can’t point to a specific afterschool program or a specific class that their child takes and know exactly where the funding comes from,” McGhee said.
While dealing with uncertainties, McGhee is hopeful things can change.
“We try to prepare for the worst-case scenario, but hope for the best,” she said. That’s where I’m at currently as a parent.”
Smith said it will be hard, but the Shawnee Mission School District will figure out a solution.
“There’s a string that ties all of us together,” Smith said. “When things happen to one part of our system, they impact the whole system.”
The De Soto School District said in a statement the “impact is not as significant,” when compared to other districts.
The De Soto School District would lose $125,715, with more than $84,000 withheld from training, recruitment, and retention of “high-quality” teachers.
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KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.