Roughly $55,000 in Federal Grant Money in Limbo

As if Stafford Public Schools’ budget season hasn’t been trying enough after three failed referenda and a cut to last year’s operating budget, federal funds are also being held in limbo. According to the new Superintendent of Schools, Scott Sugarman, Stafford stands to lose approximately $55,000 in federal funding if the Department of Education withholds funds allocated by Congress. 

A message sent to districts around the state from Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education, which was also included in the Board of Education meeting agenda for July 14, 2025, indicated that the following grants are impacted:

• Title II, Part A: Teacher and School Leader Supports

• Title III, Part A: English Learners

• Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment

• Title IV, Part B: 21st Century Before and After School Program

• Adult Basic Education 

Funds for these grants were scheduled to be released on July 1, the start of the new fiscal year, but have still not been dispersed. Professional development, after-school programs, and support for English language learners could be impacted, which is especially problematic given that Stafford lost a multilingual learner teacher to budget cuts.

Sugarman said that, as of now, the schools are operating as if that money does not exist, and programs could be impacted. Luckily, however, these funds are not tied to any salaries. Because there is no officially approved budget, he says he cannot yet determine if there are other places to pull from to cover some of these costs. 

CT Mirror reports that Connecticut stands to lose $53.6 million and that “Connecticut and 25 other states filed a lawsuit Monday to force the federal government to release $6.8 billion in education funds that states say the Donald J. Trump administration has no right to withhold.” This, by now, is a familiar dynamic, but it is unclear how long it will take for this lawsuit to be resolved in court and for the federal government to comply if required. 

CT Mirror also reports, “The lawsuit, filed on Monday, argues that Congress requires this money be sent to the states by a certain date, and that the executive branch cannot refuse to do so. While agencies like the Department of Education can ask Congress for the ability to revoke payments lawmakers have approved, the lawsuit argues the Trump administration hasn’t taken the necessary steps to be able to do that.”

In addition to these concerns, Sugarman noted that the schools could be affected by any changes to Medicaid reimbursements or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Right now, students whose families receive SNAP benefits automatically qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. If the benefits were taken away, they would then have to fill out the paperwork to qualify, which is often a barrier to accessing the program. 

Education Week reports, “The federal government is poised to slash more than $1 trillion from Medicaid spending over 10 years, accounting in part for the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate that the budget bill will leave up to 11.8 million more people uninsured by 2034. Roughly half of American kids are on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program for children from lower-income families.” 

The schools receive reimbursements through Medicaid when providing students with services such as physical therapy. In fact, a financial status report provided to the BOE for the 2024-2025 fiscal year said, “Medicaid revenue increased by $10,781.68 based on final amounts from the state,” illustrating how important this revenue stream can be for the schools.