The Trump administration has rescinded a $47 million grant that was supporting community schools in Kentucky, says The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, which was administering the grant.
The nonprofit was awarded the five-year Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant three years ago under the Biden administration. According to a Prichard Committee press release, the decision to cancel the grant affects 40 schools across 20 Kentucky school districts.
Among the districts affected is Christian County Public Schools, which was selected in October 2023 to participate in the initiative. At the time, district leaders said the initiative would funnel nearly 1.5 million into the district over five years. It would support a “holistic education” model aimed at improving student outcomes through wraparound services and community partnerships. It is not yet clear how the loss of the federal funding will affect Christian County.
The grant dollars had been “already awarded, budgeted and actively supporting students and families across Kentucky,” the Prichard Committee said. The organization was notified that the program “no longer aligns with the Trump Administration’s priorities,” the release said.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.
The Prichard Committee said the grant supported mental health services, tutoring, after-school programs, family engagement initiatives and transportation assistance. The organization reported outcomes like improving student attendance and fostering partnerships between schools and their communities.
“Now more than ever, Kentucky needs community at the table,” said Brigitte Blom, president and CEO of The Prichard Committee. “Academic success does not happen in isolation. Mental health care, reliable transportation, family engagement and other wrap-around services are essential to reducing chronic absenteeism and improving education outcomes statewide. Many of these supports and resources already exist in Kentucky communities; they just need to be connected with schools in ongoing, meaningful ways.”
The Prichard Committee will not end its work without the federal funding. Blom said in the statement that Kentuckians should turn to community resources to meet students’ non-academic needs.
“These dollars are working, and the work must continue beyond the grant, which was always the plan,” Blom said. “National research shows that every dollar invested in integrated student supports generates $7 to $15 in social and economic return. Stopping this work now would cost more than it saves.”
Hoptown Chronicle engagement editor contributed to this report.
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.
McKenna Horsley covers state politics for the Kentucky Lantern. She previously worked for newspapers in Huntington, West Virginia, and Frankfort, Kentucky. She is from northeastern Kentucky.
