KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Public School District is one of several local districts grappling with a federal funding freeze, and KCPS expects refugee and immigrant support programs to be hit hard.
“This is just another attack,” said Joan Kelly, director of strategic partnerships for Jewish Vocational Service, or JVS, Kansas City’s largest refugee resettlement agency.
Kelly says JVS was subject to a freeze earlier this year. The impacts of that freeze are still being felt.
“Regardless of the funds ever being made available or not, it immediately impacts planning, it immediately sows fear,” Kelly said. “I think it's just another blow.”
One of JVS’s key partners is Kansas City Public Schools, one of many local districts responding to the decision to freeze $7 billion in federal aid already approved for education funding for this fiscal year.
“I don't think our students, I don't think our parents are yet able to grapple with how serious this is,” Kelly said.
As of Friday morning, KCPS says over $4.1 million of its federal funding is frozen.
The impacted programs include:
- $628,099 for Adult Education and Literacy
- $967,621 from Title II for teacher development and retention
- $797,086 from Title III for English Language Learning and Immigrant support
- $452,270 for Afghan refugee student services
- $318,440 for broader refugee education programs
- $953,372 from Title IV for student support and academic enrichment
“These are not just numbers on a page,” KCPS Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier said in a statement. “These funds support adult learners pursuing new opportunities, educators committed to professional growth, and students working to overcome barriers and thrive in school. Many of these dollars are already committed to staff salaries and essential services, making this sudden freeze especially disruptive.”
There are about 2,400 students in English language learner programs in KCPS.
JVS serves more than half of those students.
“Every student benefits from this, it’s not just refugee and immigrant students themselves,” Kelly said. “It's really heartbreaking that it doesn't seem to matter what the humanitarian need is, what the need is of children.”
Surrounding districts have also responded to news of frozen funds.
Olathe Public Schools expects to lose approximately $1 million from its general fund.
Blue Valley Schools said they expect a delay or loss of about $342,000.
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools say it could lose about $4.9 million dollars.
North Kansas City Schools are "assessing the financial impact caused by the pause in funding."
KSHB 41’s Fernanda Silva heard from the Shawnee Mission School District on Wednesday about the impacts the district is anticipating.
As districts and families navigate this change, Kelly says the long-term effects are also important to consider.
“Taking away this funding, or freezing it, or playing games with it, just generally speaking, is going to limit our ability to really let our students have a better future,” Kelly said. “I think the trauma is immediate, but it’s going to have long-term, lasting impacts that we won’t see this year, this administration.”
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KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
