THE GORGE — White Salmon Valley School District (WSVSD), Hood River County School District (HRCSD), and North Wasco County School District 21 (NWCSD) are preparing to potentially lose funding after the U.S. Department of Education announced it is temporarily freezing several key grant programs, as directed by President Donald Trump.
School districts nationwide were notified on July 1 — the beginning of the fiscal year and when the funds were expected to be delivered — that the Department of Education (DOE) and the Office of Management and Budget was withholding $6.8 billion in federal grants already allocated to improve education for disadvantaged students, pending review.
The House of Representatives passed the “Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act 2025” on March 11 by a vote of 217-213. It then passed the Senate, 54-46, on March 14, and was signed into law by Trump on March 15.
But the funds are now being withheld from all 50 states. That amounts to about $137 million in Washington, according to State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, and more than $73 million in Oregon, according to Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
Included in the review are Title 1-C, migrant education; Title II-A, professional development; Title 111-A, English learners; Title IV-A, technology and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); and Title IV-B, student enrichment and after school programming, monies.
In a statement obtained by AP News, DOE officials said they are reviewing the programs and remain “committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president’s priorities and the department’s statutory responsibilities.” No timeline has been given for the review’s completion.
Since receiving the notice, 24 states and the District of Columbia — Democrat and Republican — have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and the Department of Education, including Oregon and Washington.
This funding has been in place since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law on April 11, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Jonson as part of his “war on poverty.” President Barak Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law on Dec. 10, 2015, which reauthorized the ESEA.
WSVSD
Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn said that White Salmon Valley is one of the most disproportionately hit districts in Washington State, with $587,322 being withheld, amounting to $554 per student.
One immediate and significant impact would be to its A-List After School Adventure Program, which costs nearly $500,000 to operate each year.
“This program is fully funded through a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, which is made possible by federal Title IV dollars,” Polkinghorn said. “It provides safe, engaging, and enriching after-school opportunities for many of our students and families.”
Summer school is also funded by Title IV grants, he said.
While no decisions have been made regarding changes to the CLC program, the district has been advised by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to plan for the reality that Title IV funds may not be released in time for the upcoming school year.
“In that case, we would not be able to operate the program,” he said. “Since the program is entirely dependent on these funds, we are actively evaluating the implications and exploring all possible options to support students and families.”
Polkinghorn said the district is monitoring guidance coming from the state superintendent’s office and the U.S. Department of Education, reviewing how the freeze may affect planning and staffing for the upcoming school year, and collaborating with partner districts and state leaders to advocate for a swift resolution.
HRCSD
Superintendent Bill Newton said the funding freeze could result in a loss of $1.5 million to the district. The largest immediate impact would be to migrant education funds (Title I-C), which supported 435 migrant students and families in HRCSD last school year; the loss of $840,471 would “severely impact” migrant summer school, family engagement, preschool, and regular school programming, he said. Migrant students make up 11% of district enrollment.
Another large hit would come to the district’s EXCEL after school program (Title IV-B). This is a five-year grant that funds the programs at Parkdale, Mid Valley, and Cascade Locks elementary schools, and Wy’east Middle School. As 2025-2026 is the third year of the program, this amounts to more than $1.1 million over the next three years, impacting students and families from low-income backgrounds who rely on the care the program provides, he said.
“This delay in funding is highly unusual, and school districts across the nation are closely monitoring the situation as this funding could be reduced or adjusted for the 2025-26 school year,” Newton said. “For a district our size, a potential loss of $1.5 million is substantial, especially since our budget and staffing plans for the upcoming school year have already been developed. This situation would require us to re-evaluate and potentially make adjustments to the services and programs currently supported by this funding.”
A full media release from HRCSD is online at columbiagorgenews.com.
NWCSD 21
Communications Director Stephanie Bowen said that, like Hood River and White Salmon, the district is “deeply concerned” about potential reductions.
“These proposed cuts could have significant consequences for our district, particularly for the most vulnerable populations we serve,” she said.
Of immediate consequence is the full time health teacher position at The Dalles Middle School (TDMS), which is funded by Title IIV-A (technology and STEM). The position fulfills Erin’s Law requirements for TDMS, “ensuring that students in grades 6-8 receive age appropriate, medically accurate, and culturally inclusive instruction on recognizing and preventing sexual abuse,” Bowen said. The district will have to increase class sizes at its elementary schools to create funding to maintain the health teacher position.
“NWCSD does not have a budget surplus to be able to add another FTE position in the event that this funding is permanently withheld. Students will suffer, and they are already struggling,” she said.
Also impacted are the district’s Title 1C (migrant) and Title IV-B (student enrichment and after school programming) programs, part of a consortium with the Columbia Gorge Education Service District (ESD), who provides migrant and after-school programming services to the district. Cuts to the migrant program will result in “dramatic changes” to how the district provides services and supports to migrant students; the loss of after-school programming dollars will result in eliminating the services altogether, including staff.
“This isn’t just about numbers on a page,” Bowen said. “It’s about real students, real teachers, and real services that make a difference every single day.”
•••
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
Commented