Trump-era delays, inflation force Middle Georgia schools to rethink budgets

Note: The Georgia Department of Education confirmed Friday that it received official notices from the Council of Chief State School Officers and the U.S. Department of Education that previously withheld K-12 funds will be released.

“(The U.S. Office of Management and Budget) has completed its review of Title I-C, Title II-A, Title III-A, and Title IV-A ESEA funds and Title II WIOA funds, and has directed the Department to release all formula funds. The agency will begin dispersing funds to states next week,” Education Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications Madi Biedermann said in a statement Friday afternoon to The Telegraph.

Changes under President Donald Trump’s administration have left millions of dollars in limbo across Middle Georgia’s public school districts, and local leaders are trying to sort out how to account for that gap in funding.

School leaders say they are feeling the ripple effects of expected tariffs imposed by Trump, ongoing inflation and uncertainty surrounding the recently delayed release of federal K-12 education money.

Millions of dollars delayed in Macon, rising costs

The Bibb County School District is projecting an estimated 8% increase in school nutrition produce costs for the 2025–2026 school year, with expenses expected to rise from $1.3 million to $1.4 million, according to district documents.

The board of education agreed to award contracts to two vendors under a new agreement aimed at improving menu offerings, increasing student meal participation and offering more locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables. One vendor will receive $500,000 and the other will get $900,000.

District leaders originally attributed the spike to increased market prices and the termination of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, a federal initiative that helped states buy fresh produce from local farms to support school nutrition and reduce food insecurity.

But in a follow-up, district spokesperson Stephanie Hartley clarified that the increase is due to inflation, and the LFS grant cuts were unrelated and made public in January through the state.

The Bibb County School District is also awaiting federal money that’s been delayed.

Bibb County Schools initially awaited a release of over $6.9 million in federal financial assistance, according to internal district documents The Telegraph obtained through an open records request. The documents thoroughly detail potential impacts the frozen funds could have on the district and what it offers. Superintendent Dan Sims said he recently shared the documents with board members.

After the recent release of after-school and summer program funds, which was the bulk of the money for the district, the county’s school system still stands to lose around $3 million:

Title II-A (Improving Teacher Quality): $1.7 million

This money supports job-embedded professional learning and leadership development for teachers and administrators. Without the money, the district said it may have to reduce or eliminate its instructional coaching model and leadership pipeline programs.

“Teachers would have fewer opportunities to refine their practice, and schools would struggle to meet the needs of students, particularly in schools that rely most heavily on Title II, Part A-funded support,” the district said.

Title I-C (Migrant Education): $33,717

This money provides tutoring, instructional materials, and summer programming for migratory students, as well as professional development for educators working with that population.

Without these funds, migratory students in the district would “lose access to critical support that addresses the instability and learning gaps associated with frequent relocation,” placing them at a distinct disadvantage academically and socially, the district said.

Title III-A (English Learners): $102,616

This money provides language development instruction, supplementary tutoring and interpretation services for English learner families. The money also also supports professional development for teachers.

“Educators would have fewer resources and limited access to professional learning that is essential for meeting the needs of multilingual learners,” the district said.

Title IV-A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment): $1.26 million

These funds help expand student support in various ways, such as robotics and JROTC, student wellness initiatives, and fund a full-time dual enrollment coordinator. They also sustain partnerships with Communities In Schools, which places empowerment coaches at eight schools to support students’ academic and emotional needs.

Without it, students “lose access to critical academic, enrichment, and wellness supports, particularly in our highest-need schools.”

State leaders such as Gov. Brian Kemp and state Superintendent Richard Woods have vouched for the money to be released. School officials across Middle Georgia are closely monitoring the situation.

During the district’s July board meeting, board member Henry Ficklin said, “We built our budget based on expected federal funds that are now held up by the Trump administration. We need to reconfigure some items until funds are identified.”

Sims said last week the district is still in a space of waiting.

Tariff concerns affect school technology plans

In Monroe County Schools, that has meant changing plans for electronic devices because of tariffs.

Superintendent Jim Finch said potential tariffs on technology equipment led the district to move up its device replacement schedule, budgeting for the expense now to avoid higher costs later.

“While we have yet to see the total impact, we did approve purchases ahead of schedule in order to avoid the budget volatility we’re anticipating with tariffs (as it relates to technology hardware),” he said in an email.

In May, the Monroe County Board of Education approved the purchase of 1,300 Dell 3120 Chromebooks for $396,617 after briefly discussing how tariffs could affect pricing.

Finch said the district’s most immediate concern is the delayed allocation of nearly $7 billion in federal education funds — a development that has raised alarms throughout Middle Georgia, where school systems depend on those dollars to support after-school programs, teacher training, and services for English learners and migrant students.

Although the department released on Monday funds for summer and after-school programs, Finch said the ongoing uncertainty could still lead to disruptions.

“These funds are used for a variety of expenditures, including portions of salaries and some professional learning,” he said. “If this money is not received, those programs will be cut or rolled into our local budget.”

Monroe County stands to lose about $150,000 in Title II-A funds and $70,000 in Title IV-A funds, which support professional development and student support services. Finch said the district does not receive funding under Title I-C or Title III-A, which serve migrant and English learner students.

The Georgia Department of Education called a special board meeting for July 29 to accept the Title IV, Part B funds from the U.S. Department of Education and to authorize the State School Superintendent to distribute those funds to grantees of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.

This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 11:10 AM.