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The White House released millions of dollars to Oregon schools on Friday, ending a weekslong spat that jeopardized key education programs and services.
The move came after the Trump administration froze about $6.8 billion to schools nationwide on June 30, one day before the funding regularly rolls into schools. Oregon stood to lose about $73 million, according to Oregon Department of Education spokeswoman Liz Merah.
At issue were six different grant programs administered by ODE, including migrant education, professional development, English-learner services, student support and academic enrichment, before- and after-school programs; and adult education and family literacy.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield was among 21 attorneys general who sued the administration July 14, arguing the executive branch did not have the authority to block congressionally approved funds. Last week, the White House released some funding allocated to after-school programs—$1.3 billion frozen nationwide—but it took bipartisan collaboration in Congress to help move the needle toward releasing the remaining funding.
In a statement to WW, Rayfield said the Oregon Department of Justice was “actively evaluating” how the announcement will affect Oregon.
“This funding should never have been disrupted in the first place—it’s yet another example of the Trump administration creating needless uncertainty around services that matter deeply to families across the country," Rayfield said. “Our litigation on this issue is ongoing.”
The consequences for pausing federal funds would have affected schools across Oregon differently. At a July 18 press event with Portland Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong briefly said PPS had prepared for some federal cuts to programs, but noted she’d heard of other districts in worse positions.
