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.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
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.
