The hallways are waxed, the lesson plans ready, but Georgia schools are missing something crucial as the new academic year looms: $223.9 million in federal education dollars that should have arrived weeks ago.
🏫 Why It Matters: Schools across Georgia are making emergency decisions about teacher layoffs and program cuts just as students prepare to return to classrooms, caught in a political standoff over education funding.
🔍 Unusual Allies: Both Republican State School Superintendent Richard Woods and Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath in demanding the Trump administration release nearly $7 billion in education funding that was due July 1.
“I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible – releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump,” Woods said.
McBath, for her part, is leading 150 House members demanding Education Secretary Linda McMahon release the funds as soon as possible.
⚠️ The Breaking Point: The Department of Education blindsided states on June 30 – just one day before funding was due – announcing an indefinite review “given the change in Administrations,” offering no timeline for when schools might see their money.
💰 By The Numbers: The withheld funds represent at least 10% of federal K-12 education funding in every state, supporting critical programs from after-school activities to teacher training.
🔮 The Big Picture: As classrooms sit ready but budgets remain in limbo, the unusual bipartisan pressure shows how education funding transcends typical political divides when real consequences loom for students and teachers.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
