Norwalk Public Schools At Risk of Losing Federal Funds

NORWALK, Conn. — Norwalk Public Schools could potentially lose over $1 million in previously approved federal grants for several programs just before schools reopen this fall. 

At Tuesday’s NPS Board Special Business Meeting, Superintendent Dr. Alexandra Estrella and several members of her leadership team outlined the potential impact of the nationwide impoundment order on several programs and staff.

An impoundment order is when “the President delays or withholds funds that have already [been] approved by Congress,” explained NPS Chief Financial Officer Lunda Asmani. 

This authority comes from the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. While the President cannot cancel the funds entirely without Congressional approval, he can delay or withhold them. Across the country, almost $6.2 billion in educational grants have been halted. For some states, this equates to 10 to 15 percent of total K-12 funding, which can result in significant program cuts.

“Why this matters to us is because every time funds are not released to us, it does mean fewer resources,” Asmani said. “In this instance, for schools, and potentially, if these funds are not eventually released, it does put pressure on states and districts to fill some of these funding gaps.”

For Norwalk, the immediate risks include cuts to Title II, III, and IV grants, which total over $1 million, which is roughly 3.2% of overall grants. If the freeze becomes permanent, it could result in the loss of several staff members across various roles, including teaching, support, and administration.

The programs at risk span a range of educational priorities. 

Title II Part A’s purpose is to “enhance curriculum, the curriculum department, curriculum initiatives, and to improve the quality of effectiveness for teachers,” stands to lose an estimated $405,894, according to Deputy Superintendent Sandra Faioes. The grant also funds the salaries of two full-time employees (FTEs) and part of another person’s salary. 

Title III, Part A, helps fund programs to support multilingual learners (MLLs). These can range from “hiring teachers to support staff to everything like curriculum development and professional development,” said Faioes. At risk is a $318,032 grant that also funds the salaries of four full-time employees. 

Title IV Part A provides a “well-rounded education to improve academic achievement for students,” said Director of Grants Jay Gerlach. In the past, the grant has helped support after-school arts programming and technology upgrades, including laptops and smartboards, Gerlach explained. Title IV Part A also helps fund several programs such as district-wide mentorships, Workforce Development/Dual Enrollment, International Baccalaureate, and Student Internships. This grant has a $294,090 allocation and does not fund any staffing salaries.

Superintendent Dr. Estrella said that they are also monitoring the Magnet School Assistance Program (MSAP), a grant distributed over a five-year period. This grant, which has been allocated $3 million for fiscal year 2026, helps support STEM, college, and career readiness programs at three Magnet schools: P-Tech, Ponus, and Kendall. While MSAP is not part of the impoundment, it is a federal grant tied to Title IV Part D. 

“We have to assume that there is a possibility that these resources would also become obsolete,” said Superintendent Dr. Estrella. “We want to bring awareness to the board, because now we’re talking about close to seven positions in the other federal funds, and an additional nine, totaling approximately 15 FTEs across the organization.”

Community partnerships like the Carver Foundation, which provides before and after-school support for Norwalk students, could also be affected. As of July 15, Carver announced the temporary suspension of its 5th Grade Scholars Program for the 2025-2026 school year because of a statewide freeze on 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funds “due to federal-level actions, halting critical payments just weeks before the new school year,” according to a statement. Carver stressed that no other programs have been affected at this time.

Congress has 45 days from the notice of the impoundment to decide whether to eliminate the funding. This deadline falls on August 14, according to Asmani, which is less than two weeks before schools resume in Norwalk. 

The outcome of the decision determines whether there will be program and staffing cuts. For the latter, it would involve utilizing the reduction-in-force (RIF) process, as stipulated by union contracts for staffing position eliminations, as noted by Vice Chair Sheri Pritchett and confirmed by Superintendent Dr. Estrella.

“If we lose these resources and these funding sources are not replenished or acquired in other ways, then we are going to face a difficult challenge of making personnel eliminations before the start of the academic school year,” said the superintendent.

The City and BET are aware of the potential loss of funding, according to Superintendent Dr. Estrella. 

While board members are positive that Connecticut’s congressional delegation will oppose the impoundment, they urged the public to continue advocating. 

“If you’ve got friends and family around the country and you can take a few minutes to share with them just how serious the implications this are, and encourage them to reach out to their congress people,” said board member, Ashley Gulyas. “That would be really important.”

Since the affected funds flow through the state, there is a possibility that Connecticut will intervene and provide stopgap funding, according to Asmani. 

“We will know more as we approach that August 14, end of August timeline, to know what the actual impact is,” said Asmani.

For now, however, the full scope of the cuts remains uncertain as the new school year approaches.

“There’s a chance that we may not lose all of it, we may lose some, we may lose none,” said Asmani. “But everybody’s being put on notice.”