4:59Senator Lisa Murkowski engages with media after a discussion with the prime minister on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday, July 21, 2025. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP
Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed her concerns that the Trump administration’s halt on federal education funding could result in "school closures" in her state.
"Numerous school districts are already faced with very tough choices regarding school closures," Murkowski stated following the lawsuits filed by three of Alaska’s school districts against the Trump administration over the freezing of more than approximately $6 billion in federally authorized education funding across the nation.
"In both Fairbanks and Anchorage, we have witnessed layoffs," Murkowski remarked.
Senator Lisa Murkowski speaks with media following a meeting with the prime minister on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday, July 21, 2025.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP
Earlier this month, the Anchorage School District informed the community through a letter that it had already initiated staff layoffs after $46 million was affected by the funding freeze. The district reportedly receives around one-third of the state’s federal education funds, as noted by Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt.
"I wish I could assert that we are solid at the state level, but that is not the case. And now there are uncertainties at the federal level as well," Murkowski added.
Murkowski, along with nine other Republican senators, endorsed a letter last week urging the Trump administration to reverse the funding freeze, which they claimed prompted the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to unfreeze over $1 billion in funding for after-school and summer learning programs.
However, OMB did not specify whether it would be unfreezing the remaining approximately $6 billion in federal funds allocated for various programs, including English language learning, professional development for educators, and adult education, among others.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., spearheaded the group of 10 senators who signed the letter. She shared with ABC News that she hopes the administration can successfully restore all education funding to states before the school year commences.
"I would like to see some of the other programs released, but we haven’t received any updates one way or the other," Moore Capito told ABC News.
School district leaders are now in a state of urgency due to the uncertainty, according to state officials who have communicated with ABC News. At least two dozen states, several school districts, and education advocacy organizations have now taken legal action against the administration regarding the funding freeze.
An OMB representative stated that the funds are under inspection for "grossly" misusing programs that support "radical leftwing agendas."
However, Murkowski criticized the administration for asserting that Alaskan districts promoted programs with radical ideologies. She emphasized that the programs are not "woke or ideologically misaligned."
Murkowski is concerned that the program review from OMB—the stated reason for the funding freeze—could extend into the school year, indicating that it would disproportionately affect adult learners and those studying English. The delayed funding could subsequently impact the workforce, according to Murkowski.
"If your literacy skills are lacking, if you are working on your English proficiency, these are all factors that prevent individuals from entering the workforce at a time when we are trying to encourage their participation," Murkowski stated, adding, "So I am extremely concerned."
Since the funding freeze took effect on July 1, North Dakota Republican Senator John Hoeven mentioned that he has heard from worried educators in his state as well.
Hoeven expressed relief when the after-school and summer learning grants were released, as they also contribute to workforce development, he noted.
With funding for those initiatives secured, parents won’t need to arrange alternative care for their children, potentially losing work time
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
