HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Federal funding granted during the pandemic is being pulled from at least 27 school districts across Michigan.
The Trump administration announced the COVID-19-related grants would go away on Friday, March 28. Michigan's State Superintendent Michael Rice said suspending relief funds is anything but good for the future.
Michigan districts stand to lose $42 million of unspent federal funding, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Hamtramck Public Schools could lose $7.2 million. Pontiac could miss out on $3.3 million and Brighton is at risk of losing $1.2 million.
Toni Coral, an English teacher at Hamtramck’s alternative high school and the president of the Hamtramck Federation of Teachers, said the funding has been beneficial to infrastructures upgrades.
“So, we’ve added air conditioning to all of our buildings that didn’t have air conditioning. We upgraded the heating to go along with that and that came with a lot of new vents and also new windows, so everything would be more energy efficient," she explained.
Coral said the work will to continue, but the funding source will change.
“What the Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and her boss, Donald Trump, are suggesting is they’re going to claw that money back. They’re going to reach into our accounts and pull the money back," she said.
"So, contracts are signed. So, we are obliged and we’re in the middle of the work. So, we can’t just stop the work. So, that money’s going to come out of the general funds and what general funds are used for are for what you see here — furniture, some of the technology. It pays for salaries. It pays for the lights. It pays for other student programs. Right? Text books. All of supplies, paper, all of that.”
Coral said the funding shift could mean fewer supplies — potentially impacting learning.
“I don’t know if it will mean a staff reduction. I hope not. Right? It’s just making the kids pay, and there’s no reason for that. I mean, a promise was made and now a promise is being broken. Is that what we’re doing to kids? Taking away programming," she said.
Rinku Dhar, a parent told 7 News Detroit, "We don’t want that. We need more.”
She has a son in the eighth grade who has special needs and said he takes classes at Grosse Pointe schools through an arrangement with Hamtrack Public Schools.
“I’m satisfied with the classes, the teachers and they’re doing an awesome job for my son,” Dhar said.
7 News Detroit reached out to Hamtramck school board President Abdulmalik Algahaim, who echoed the funding gap would be filled by the general fund.
Rice said in a statement, "A change in administrations should not void previous commitments."
"The U.S. Secretary of Education needs to rethink her March 28 communication," Rice said.
