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August 9, 2025

Update: Federal Funding Grant Freeze Lifted

The Kansas City Kansas Public Schools logo featuring a graduate in a cap and gown reading a book.

Updated Information: Posted August 12, 2025

The Federal Funding Freeze Has Been Lifted. 

The previous federal funding pause by the U.S. Department of Education has been lifted.

As of the week of August 8th, 2025, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) received and then released all federal funding to our district.

For Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, this means the following services and programs will continue into the 2025-2026 school year:

  • Training, recruiting, and keeping great teachers (Title II-A)
  • Language programs supporting ELL and immigrant students (Title III)
  • Student social-emotional supports, college and career opportunities (Title IV, Part A)
  • Supports to help migrant students meet high academic standards (Title I, Part C)

Thank you for your support and advocacy that contributed to the release of these funds. 

Your voice matters!

Original Post: July 9, 2025

Dear KCKPS Families and Community Members,

Public schools across the country depend on federal funding to help meet the needs of their students — and Kansas City, Kansas is no exception.

Last week, school districts nationwide, including ours, were notified of a sudden freeze on federal education grants. This decision, announced by the U.S. Department of Education, halts nearly $7 billion in funding that had already been approved by Congress for the current school year.

This funding pause affects programs that directly support some of our most vulnerable students — including those from low-income families, English language learners, and students with disabilities.

For Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, the freeze could mean a loss of approximately $4.9 million in critical funding. Here's how that breaks down:

  • $2,055,000
    • for After-School programs like KidZone, where students participate in enrichment and college preparation activities
  • $1,100,269
    • for training, recruiting, and keeping great teachers
  • $854,864
    • for language programs supporting ELL students
  • $579,594
    • for student social-emotional supports, college and career opportunities
  • $345,807
    • to help migrant students meet high academic standards

Much of this funding is already committed to staff salaries and benefits — which makes this freeze especially challenging.

We want our families and community to know: We are actively monitoring the situation and advocating on behalf of our students and staff.

If the freeze continues, we will be forced to reallocate other district funds to cover the shortfall, which may place strain on other programs and also eliminate services for students.

Your voice matters. As parents, caregivers, and community members, staying informed and engaged is more important than ever. Every dollar counts when it comes to supporting our students' education and future.

We will keep you updated as we learn more. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools