Federal funding cuts will hurt Polk students

Published 12:34 pm Friday, July 25, 2025

Letter to the Editor:

Recent communication from Attorney General Jeff Jackson has brought to light that $165 million in funding for North Carolina public schools has been indefinitely frozen by the Trump administration. These funds support after-school and summer programs for over 10,000 students, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education, adult literacy, mental health support and smaller class sizes for elementary students. 

A thousand educators in our state could lose their jobs, just weeks before classes begin. Rural communities will suffer the most. 

The three counties facing the deepest per-student cuts are Ashe, Graham, and POLK. That’s right. Our own Polk County is set to lose 3.3 million dollars in federal funding.

This action is illegal. Congress created these programs. Congress reviewed and approved state plans for them. Congress authorized the funding. The Department of Education does not have the authority to override that process. It’s not their money to freeze.

If we allow this kind of move to stand, we set a dangerous precedent – one in which federal departments can undermine Congress and hold states hostage to their own political whims.

Attorney General Jackson, along with other state AGs, has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to end the freeze. That would protect students and schools from further harm.

The bottom line is simple. This is about Polk County children being deprived of opportunities that contribute to their development into becoming responsible and productive adults.

Dr. Ted Owen

Tryon