'Devastating' fallout feared in Idaho as feds freeze billions for U.S. schools

Sarah Cutler, The Idaho Statesman on Jul 9, 2025

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The federal government froze over $33 million in Idaho education funding, the Boise School District said in a Wednesday news release addressed to staff and parents, forcing school administrators to weigh tough decisions on possible last-minute cuts to language learning, teacher training and after-school programs.

The money, part of $6.9 billion in K-12 funding frozen nationwide by the Trump administration, would normally have made its way to states starting July 1, according to a National Education Association news release.

The Idaho State Department of Education does not know when the federal government will make decisions about whether to release the funding, Debbie Critchfield, Idaho superintendent of public instruction, told the Idaho Statesman in a statement.

The amount Idaho stands to lose totals about 16% of the funding the U.S. Department of Education usually gives to the state, according to the Learning Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank focused on education.

The frozen funding targets migrant education, teacher training, English-language acquisition and after-school enrichment programming, including literacy programs, according to data shared by Scott Graf, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Education “remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president’s priorities and the department’s statutory responsibilities,” it said in a June 30 email notifying states of the funding freeze.

The freeze poses challenges for summer programming and schools’ efforts to plan for the upcoming school year. Critchfield has reached out to Idaho’s congressional delegation to “ask for their help in understanding” when Idaho schools can expect a decision to be made about the funding, she said in her statement.

“We’re hopeful we will know the timeline for distribution sooner rather than later as decisions are being made now in local districts for the coming school year,” she told the Statesman.

In the 2024-25 school year, Idaho public schools received $351 million in federal funding, Idaho Education News reported.

As part of a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration filed in March, the National Education Association and the NAACP sought an injunction to prevent the Education Department from withholding the funding, which Congress has already appropriated.

“That illegal decision, like the other steps this administration has taken to shut down the Department, is unlawful and will harm students and families across the country,” according to a statement the NAACP released July 1.

Joan Varsek, a spokesperson for Gov. Brad Little, referred questions to the Education Department. Spokespeople for Sen. Mike Crapo, Sen. Jim Risch, Rep. Mike Simpson and Rep. Russ Fulcher did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Idaho school districts face uncertainty

The Boise School District was expecting to receive about $1.5 million of the frozen funding, Superintendent Lisa Roberts said in the news release.

“These federal programs are essential to providing professional learning for our staff, supporting multilingual learners, and offering safe and enriching learning opportunities for students,” she said. “Without this funding, we would face difficult decisions that could affect student supports and services.”

Matt Sizemore, a spokesperson for Nampa School District, told the Statesman that the district didn’t have enough information to speculate about the impact of the freeze.

“This is a tough issue right now because of the amount of unknowns,” he said by email.

Even without a final decision by the federal government, “the current uncertainty is creating challenges” across the state, Sizemore said. “We are staying in close contact with the State Department of Education and remain hopeful for more clarity and a timely resolution.”

Some of the frozen funds, which target after-school and enrichment programming, threaten programs such as Boys & Girls Clubs, which offer after-school and summer programs for kids, Jim Clark, the organization’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

Those programs “are cornerstones of academic success, public safety and family stability for millions of young people — but right now, we stand at a dangerous tipping point,” Clark said.

If the Trump administration continues to block the funding, nearly 1,000 Boys & Girls Clubs may be forced to shutter. Over 220,000 children would lose access to meals, mentors and safe spaces after school, according to the organization.

“The fallout will be swift and devastating,” Clark said.

Jodi Davis Gempler, the director of development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Ada County, did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

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