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Federal funding pause creates short-term payment uncertainty for Kansas school programs
Summary
Officials told the Committee on K‑12 Education Budget that a late federal memo freezing some federal outlays has created uncertainty about future draws but that the state completed an emergency drawdown to cover imminent district payments.
A memo from the federal government that emerged the night before the committee met raised immediate questions about whether some federal payments to Kansas schools would be delayed, state education officials told the Committee on K‑12 Education Budget on Jan. 20.
The concern matters because the state passes federal money through to districts for programs such as IDEA (special education) and ESEA (title funds). Dr. Brad Harwood, speaking to the committee, said the U.S. Department of Education told the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) that the memo “would not apply to formula grants,” and KSDE moved to draw down federal funds so districts could be paid in the near term.
KSDE reported it requested roughly $38 million in federal funds that day and that those funds were expected to arrive “tomorrow or Thursday,” covering Department of Education and Department of Agriculture payments. Harwood cautioned that Office of Management and Budget (OMB) — the agency that issues federal spending direction — had not provided clarifying guidance to the department at the time of testimony.
Officials said the larger, monthly IDEA and ESEA payments are not due for another month, but weekly USDA-related payments (including child nutrition or CACFP payments) could be at risk if federal guidance changes. KSDE said it drew down about $1.3 million for CACFP this week and roughly $8 million for other agriculture-related payments, with about $27 million from the Department of Education.
Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, told the committee that the cabinet’s grantees include projects funded by federal grants and that the pause has left local recipients unsure whether they should pause work or expect reimbursement for expenses already incurred. She listed several affected grant programs including a $7 million preschool development grant and state projects built with Capital Projects Fund money, and said many local projects were “incurring expenses” with uncertain reimbursement.
KSDE and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet told committee members they were seeking clarifying guidance from federal agencies and would relay instructions to affected districts and sub‑recipients as soon as it was available.
The committee did not take formal action on federal funding at the Jan. 20 meeting; members asked staff to continue monitoring federal guidance and to report updates to the committee.
