Worcester school jobs saved as Trump admin releases education funding
Twenty Worcester Public School jobs have been saved after the Trump administration released billions in previously frozen education funding.
The school district will receive the expected $3.5 million for its budget, which includes funding for 20 positions, according to a statement from Worcester Public Schools.
"They're safe," Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty told MassLive in a phone call on Monday. Petty is also the School Committee chairman. "We're not planning on cutting."
In a statement provided to MassLive on Monday, Worcester Public Schools wrote that the money supports instructional coaching, safety training and support for data analysis and technology.
"Worcester Public Schools is relieved that the $3.5 million in federal grant funding is no longer at risk following the federal government's decision to reverse the freeze on education funds," Worcester Public Schools said in a statement on Monday.
The money, along with $5.5 billion in funding for public schools nationwide, was withheld by the Trump administration in June. The Department of Education announced that month it would review the money to determine whether the programs it pays for align with the Trump administration's priorities.
Of the frozen funds, $108 million was set to go to Massachusetts, with $3.5 million of that going to Worcester.
If the money had remained frozen, Worcester Public Schools would not be able to pay for the 20 positions, which could have resulted in job cuts.
On Friday, however, the Trump administration announced it would release the $5.5 billion in frozen funding, which includes the $108 million for Massachusetts and the $3.5 million for Worcester.
The announcement came after the administration faced pressure from the Republican Party, with 10 Senate Republicans signing a letter urging the White House to release the money, according to the New York Times .
Petty told MassLive that Worcester will receive the funds through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
"I just think it's good news that we're receiving the money that we're entitled to that was budgeted," Petty said. "And so we don't have to make 20 cuts to administration personnel."
Following the Trump administration's announcement, Gov. Maura Healey released a statement on Friday criticizing President Donald Trump, saying that the decision to withhold $108 million had "caused major disruptions for our schools."
Attorney General Andrea Campbell, along with 23 other attorneys general, sued the Trump administration in July over the freezing of the funds. In a statement on Friday, Campbell said the administration made the right decision by releasing the funds but still noted that the initial freeze had caused "chaos and confusion."
"Our schools rely on this money to help students meet our education standards, promote effective classroom instruction, provide afterschool programming and extracurricular activities, and so much more," Campbell said. "We will continue to hold the Trump Administration accountable when it violates our laws and harms our residents, including our children."
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