Congresswoman Pou Joins New Jersey Colleagues Demanding Education Funding Restoration

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today joined her Democratic colleagues in the New Jersey congressional delegation in demanding the release of nearly $7 billion for K-12 and adult education being held hostage by the Trump administration.

“The withholding of these funds will have a widespread and detrimental impact on school communities throughout New Jersey, with disproportionate harm to high-need districts. The funds currently frozen represent almost 13 percent of the total federal K-12 funding that New Jersey schools received last year. Compounding this issue, New Jersey public school districts finalized their budgets for the 2025-2026 school year this past spring. Any loss of expected funding will create budget shortfalls, forcing districts to cut essential programs designed to serve students, their families, and educators,” the members write Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought.

The letter is signed by Congressmembers Pou, Frank Pallone, Jr., Josh Gottheimer, Rob Menendez, LaMonica McIver, Herb Conaway, Donald Norcross, Mikie Sherrill, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim.

A district-by-district breakdown of how the cuts will affect schools across America is available here. 

The full text of the members’ letter is below.

Dear Director Vought and Secretary McMahon:

We write to express our deep concern regarding the Administration’s unlawful decision to withhold nearly $7 billion in Congressionally Appropriated funding for K–12 and adult education programs nationwide, including over $162 million from the state of New Jersey.

On June 30, 2025, just one day before these funds were supposed to become available, the Department of Education abruptly informed states that they would not receive funding as scheduled on July 1. The notification cited an ongoing review due to the change in administrations, stating that “decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year.” No timeline was given for when states could expect a resolution. Typically, the Department provides state educational agencies with the formula program allocation tables and access to draw down those funds by July 1, which allows states and districts to plan, budget, and begin drawing down for summer and the upcoming school year. This decision is financially destabilizing children, families, school districts, and community-based organizations providing services across the country and directly jeopardizes the operation of summer programming currently operating as well as the upcoming school year.

The withholding of these funds will have a widespread and detrimental impact on schools, out-of-school time providers, and communities throughout New Jersey, with disproportionate harm to high-need districts. The funds currently frozen represent almost 13 percent of the total federal K-12 funding that New Jersey schools received last year. Compounding this issue, New Jersey public school districts finalized their budgets for the 2025-2026 school year this past spring. Any loss of expected funding will create budget shortfalls, forcing districts to cut essential programs designed to serve students, their families, and educators, as well as state-wide staff layoffs. Specifically, New Jersey is waiting on over $15 million for adult education programs, over $46 million for effective instruction support, over $28 million for English language learners, over $1 million in funding for migrant education, over $33 million for student support and academic achievement, and over $32 million for 21st Century Community Learning Centers,\ a program that helps raise local and state academic and attendance standards for students most in need of support.

Congress lawfully appropriated these funds to address critical education needs, including student achievement, afterschool enrichment, teacher training, and adult literacy. Withholding these funds is a reckless decision that jeopardizes the education of millions of students, resulting in layoffs, program delays, disrupted planning cycles, and delayed hiring. This also deprives students, especially those in high-need districts, of key academic support. Our schools, teachers, families, and adult learners cannot afford continued uncertainty.

We look forward to your prompt response and the immediate release of the funds.

Sincerely,

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