More than a 100 of La Conner’s most vulnerable students — migrant children, multilingual learners, and preschoolers just beginning their education journey — could soon lose access to vital support programs as the district grapples with federal funding freezes. This accounts for about 25% of the students enrolled for the 2025-26 school year.
In a letter sent to parents Friday afternoon, La Conner School District Superintendent Dave Cram announced that staffing and programs will face significant changes next year as part of the federal administration’s June 30 freeze on funding.
“We are working really hard to do what we can to mitigate these losses,” said Beth Clothier, director of teaching and learning at La Conner School District.
With no local safety net to fill the gap, school leaders say they’ve been forced to make heartbreaking decisions that will ripple through families already facing the greatest barriers.
According to Cram, impacted staff have been notified of the changes and reassigned where possible. “We are incredibly sorry to lose so many of our staff who have provided incredible support and services for our students and the school community,” Cram wrote in his letter.
Not long after Cram’s letter was distributed, Education Week reported the Trump administration had informed states they will receive their formula funding allocations for before- and after-school programs on Monday, and that the funds will now include a new requirement: states must certify that they comply with federal civil rights laws. La Conner Community News has been unable to independently verify this information in time for publication.
While there’s a possibility the funding could be restored in the coming months, it would only restore funding for some of the programs being cut today. Services for multilingual and migrant students would still not have federal funding for this school year.
Cram’s letter acknowledged that state Superintendent Chris Reykdal is not optimistic that funds for Washington state programs will be released this summer. Cram said the district will continue monitoring the situation and adjust as needed.
How we got here
This announcement comes more than two weeks after the Trump administration delayed disbursement of $6.8 billion in funds — part of the larger education funding approved by Congress in March. On June 30, the Office of Management and Budget notified states that the money would not be released as scheduled due to an “ongoing programmatic review.” That review has now concluded for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program (Title IV-B), according to an unnamed senior administration official quoted in the Education Week article via an Office of Management Budget spokesperson.
In March, Congress passed a spending package that maintained consistent funding levels for federal education grants. Since then, thousands of school districts across the country have been building their budgets with the expectation of receiving regular federal funding, including the Title IV-B fund, which supports before-and after-school programs.
However, just one day before the scheduled July 1 disbursement, the U.S. Department of Education emailed state agencies that it would not be releasing funds for seven grant programs totaling $6.8 billion. The notice stated the funding was under review but offered no timeline for when the review would conclude or whether the funds would be released afterward.
On July 14, Washington state, along with more than 20 other states, filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking immediate injunctive relief. The lawsuit alleges the federal government’s withholding of congressionally appropriated funds is unlawful.
La Conner School District has not received any additional information from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction as of 5 p.m., Friday. This is a developing news story and we will continue to update it as more information becomes available.
Staci Baird is the managing editor of La Conner Community News.
