Nevada has joined a bipartisan coalition of states suing the Trump administration over a federal education funding freeze that has left the state waiting on more than $61 million for its schools.
The funds support professional development, before- and after-school programs, English-language learners, adult education and more.
The hold is part of a roughly $7 billion nationwide freeze on funds that Congress and President Donald Trump initially approved in March. The freeze is to review whether the money would be spent in ways that meet Trump’s policy objectives.
“Just weeks after Nevada’s governor and Legislature approved a mere $2 increase in per-pupil funding, forcing districts to confront immediate budget shortfalls, this federal freeze creates yet another burden,” Dawn Etcheverry, president of the Nevada State Education Association, said in a statement. “Our schools are now under even greater pressure to maintain critical programs while trying to balance already-strained budgets for the year ahead.”
The U.S. Department of Education alerted the Nevada Department of Education of the freeze June 30, less than 24 hours before the start of the state’s new fiscal year. As of Tuesday, the Nevada Department of Education had not received any follow-up from the U.S. Department of Education.
“The timing of the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to withhold funding for several important programs is unfortunate. While the funds were appropriated by Congress in March, the decision to hold the funds was announced one day before the money was set to be utilized. Also, this decision comes when we are close to the beginning of the upcoming school year,” Clark County School District Superintendent — and past state superintendent — Jhone Ebert said in a statement. “These grants provide services to some of our most vulnerable students, this includes after-school opportunities, English learner support and other academic enrichment programs. CCSD is in touch with our federal delegation, state leaders and the Nevada Department of Education to determine the next steps.”
In its notice to the Nevada Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Education said that “given the change in Administrations, the department is reviewing the FY 2025 funding … and decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year. Accordingly, the department will not be issuing Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review. The department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president’s priorities and the department’s statutory responsibilities.”
The Nevada Department of Education said in a statement that it would “continue to work with our districts and charter schools to share information as it becomes available.”
‘Districts may never see the grant monies’
Nevada Democratic leaders are more openly alarmed about the freeze than their Republican counterparts.
In a July 10 memo to “interested parties,” Jack Giesea, the chief of staff for Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, itemized the $61.2 million that has not been released by program:
• Tutoring and support services for migrant children: $60,514
• Adult education, English language development: $846,592
• Adult education, general services: $7.3 million
• Before- and after-school programs, particularly for low-performing schools: $12.3 million
• Instruction, professional development, and family and community engagement for English-language learners: $12.9 million
• Professional learning for educators: $19.6 million
“Given the administration’s prior comments on the federal government’s role in education and, more broadly, the speed at which federal funding has been reduced or eliminated, there is reason to be concerned that districts may never see the grant monies at all prior to expiration of the funding on Sept. 30, 2026,” Giesea wrote.
“It’s appalling that the Trump administration is freezing funding at the last minute when they know vulnerable kids are depending on that money for vital support services and educational programs,” said Cannizzaro, who announced a run for Nevada attorney general and has made education one of her cornerstone issues.
“Now our school districts are staring down a $61 million budget hole for this upcoming school year with no way to fill it, putting unnecessary strain on our educators and support staff,” she added. “The Department of Education should stop playing games with kids, their families and our teachers, and immediately release this funding.”
In announcing the state’s participation in the lawsuit to force the federal government to release the approved funds, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said the freeze was “not only unconstitutional, but it’s a direct attack on Nevada’s students and families.”
“My office has sued to protect education in our state and defend against yet another attempt at federal overreach by the Trump administration,” said Ford, who is eyeing a run for governor in 2026. “We will not stand by while the federal government abandons its commitment to our children’s future.”
Nevada U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, both Democrats, are among 13 senators urging Education Secretary Linda McMahon to release the funds.
Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office issued a statement Tuesday that the office and the state Department of Education “remain in constant communication” with the administration as federal officials continue to review programs and their funding.
“Federal education programs play a crucial role in advancing equity and expanding opportunity, especially for students from low-income and historically underserved communities,” the senators wrote in a letter this week. “With learning gaps widening and student needs growing more complex, limiting access to these resources risks deepening disparities and undermining progress across the education system.”
NSEA, which is the state affiliate of the National Education Association union, pointed out that districts use the federal funds to pay for educator salaries, fulfill vendor contracts, purchase curriculum and technology, and support other essential needs. With the funding unclear, districts could be forced to cut student services or find alternative resources if the money arrives late or not at all, union officials said.
Giesea wrote that if the funds were released, education agencies would be able to reimburse themselves for valid, budgetedobligations.
“However, if the Trump administration cancels the funding entirely, the expected depth of cuts to other areas of Nevada’s recently enacted biennial budget that rely on federal funding, particularly with respect to health care, may prove challenging for the Legislature, which cannot remedy the problem without being called into a special session,” he said.