How will Trump administration’s $6B school funding freeze impact Belleville?
As the federal government withholds an estimated $219 million it previously promised for K-12 education across Illinois, it’s not yet clear how Belleville schools will be impacted.
This $219 million, which were allocated for the coming school year, are composed of five core programs, Illinois State Board of Education spokesperson Jackie Matthews explained.
The affected funding streams serve a wide range of functions, including supporting quality teachers, student academic achievement, programs during non-school hours, education for migrant children and more. Nationwide, an estimated $6 billion stands to be lost.
Congress appropriated the funds for these programs through the continuing resolution that President Donald Trump signed on March 15. These funds were expected to be released by July 1, but this didn’t happen.
Instead, the U.S. Department of Education notified states on June 30 that it is “reviewing” this previously promised funding.
“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” the letter stated.
In a letter to Congress, the Committee of Education Funding asserts that withholding this funding is against the law.
Illinois State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders issued a statement in which he calls the move “deeply disruptive, irresponsible and damaging to Illinois’ 1.9 million public school students.”
As of now, school districts across the country are left questioning when — or if — they will receive the federal funding. The state board did not comment on what, if any, challenges to the withholding of funds may occur.
How will my Illinois school be impacted?
The Illinois State Board of Education provided a breakdown of the $219 million that has been paused:
$1.9 million for migrant education
$75.6 million for supporting effective instruction
$30.4 million for English language acquisition
$56.6 million for student support and academic enrichment
$54.3 million for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which relates to out-of-school time care
Sanders’ statement says the pause could usher in a variety of consequences for Illinois schools.
“This uncertainty and delay jeopardizes schools’ ability to administer critical services — from after-school programs to teacher development to supplemental services for English learners,” the statement reads. “Our schools rely on timely and predictable funding information to plan effectively for the upcoming school year, so they can make decisions about staffing, programs and supports that directly impact student learning.”
Belleville Township High School District 201 Superintendent Marshaun C. Warren said the news hasn’t impacted her district’s planning for the upcoming school year yet, as any cuts that may be made to the district’s federal revenue streams are still undetermined.
But looking at the previous fiscal year’s budget provides a clue. For the two largest school districts in Belleville, a small portion of their revenue for fiscal year 2025 came from the funding streams in question.
District 201 received funding from two of the five funding streams that are in jeopardy: $216,326 for supporting effective instruction and $117,924 for student support and academic enrichment in fiscal year 2025. Traditionally, Warren said, the district has used these funds for instructional support in reading, math and technology.
Together, the threatened streams made up approximately 5% of Belleville 201’s federal revenue, and approximately 0.4% of the district’s overall $92 million revenue for that year.
Belleville School District 118 is expecting to recieve funding from one of those streams this current fiscal year, FY2026: $119,798 for student support and academic enrichment. This is a small percentage of the district’s expected federal revenue, District 118 Superintendent Ryan Boike said.
Still, Boike said, “anytime there’s a potential loss in revenue, it concerns us.”
If there are cuts, Warren said, District 201 would need to reassess, and potentially reallocate, other district funds.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.