$12 million frozen for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. They want it reversed
The federal government froze $12 million for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as part of billions halted nationwide June 30.
The Department of Education announced June 30 it would withhold more than $6 billion in previously approved education grants indefinitely while it reviewed whether they “align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.” CMS learned about the freeze in a letter from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction July 3. CMS board members said without the money the district may need to cut under-staff classrooms or go into debt.
In its letter to CMS, the state said the U.S. Department of Education had halted the funding until the federal review is complete.
“While the Education Department reiterated its commitment to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and alignment with the President’s priorities, it has not provided a timeline for final decisions,” the letter said, which CMS provided to The Charlotte Observer.
Over $168 million was frozen across North Carolina. OurBRIDGE, a Charlotte after-school and summer program that serves immigrant and refugee children, learned June 30 that it would not receive $826,000 it anticipated from the federal government.
The frozen funding in NC was from multiple sources, including parts of the Title I, II, III and IV programs earmarked for “education of migratory children,” “supporting effective instruction,” “English language acquisition,” “student support and academic enrichment,” and for after-school and summer programs.
CMS board members are asking the department to reverse its decision.
“The U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget’s unprecedented action significantly restricts CMS’s ability to use federal, state, and local funding effectively,” CMS board members wrote Thursday in a letter to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the United States Department of Education. “We urgently request that these critical education funds be immediately released to school districts nationwide.”
Without the $12 million in funding, CMS faces two “untenable” options, according to the board: under-staff classroom support positions or incur $1 million in monthly debt.
Both choices “would have severe consequences for students, educators, and the broader community,” the Board’s letter said.
A spokesperson for CMS said the exact number of positions or which positions would be affected is still not certain, as the district is waiting to find out how much funding it will get before making those decisions.
CMS previously had around $6 million in federal grants terminated in February, due to claims from the U.S. Department of Education that the programs they were for promoted diversity, equity and inclusion, or “DEI,” initiatives. Those funds were largely intended for teacher training programs.
CMS leaders also worry about the fate of other federal funding. The district expects $49.5 million in Title I funds during the 2025-26 school year. Title I funding is for schools with a high proportion of low-income students. In CMS, 103 of the total 186 campuses are expected to be Title I in the 2025-26 school year.
Most of that funding is tied to salaries. This year, over 10% of the district’s approximately 19,000 employees are paid using Title I funds.
In the 2025-26 budget, Superintendent Crystal Hill only allocated 65% of the district’s expected Title I funding, in anticipation of cuts or delays with a federal Department of Education in flux.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 3:11 PM.
