Michigan literacy center begins layoffs amid Trump education funding freeze

A surprise move by the Trump administration to freeze $7 billion in congressionally-approved federal education funding has triggered layoffs and class cancellations across the country.

MICHIGAN—Wendy Falb didn’t expect to start her summer by laying off employees.

But when the Trump administration abruptly froze nearly $7 billion in federal education funding last month—including money that keeps her adult literacy center in Grand Rapids running—she had no other choice but to start trimming programs and staff.

Falb leads the Literacy Center of West Michigan, the state’s largest community-based provider of adult education. It served more than 1,300 people last year alone. She told The ‘Gander that about 25% of her organization’s budget disappeared this month when the Trump administration pulled back $650,000 in already-approved grant funds, half of which are dedicated to immigrant education.

And now she’s sounding the alarm about what’s at stake for adult learners in Michigan:

“We just couldn’t pivot that quickly,” Falb said. “I’ve laid folks off—high performers, an amazing team. This will end up costing us. If I even had six weeks to plan for it, I wouldn’t have had to do this. I might’ve been able to plan for this in a way that wasn’t costing us money.”

Falb isn’t alone. In addition to cutbacks to adult education programming, state officials are warning that federal funding cuts of this magnitude will also inevitably impact a wide array of after-school programs, teacher training, services for English language learners, and more. And the consequences are already rippling through classrooms and communities across Michigan.

The state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) estimates the frozen funds would’ve supported 100 adult education providers that serve more than 20,000 Michiganders annually. But now, providers are now scaling back their plans while Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel takes the Trump administration to court in a bid to release the funds.

What’s the deal?

Last month, the Trump administration quietly notified states that it was withholding funding for six longstanding education programs, despite those funds being legally approved by Congress.

The frozen grants reportedly fund a wide range of programs for schools, including migrant education, before-and after-school programs, and services for English language learners. The biggest grants under review are also dedicated to professional development for educators.

About $171 million of those funds were already en route to Michigan to help support tens of thousands of students across the state, according to estimates from Nessel’s office. ‘

And without that cash, many adult learners—including working parents, immigrants, and job-seekers pursuing workforce training—are going to fall between the cracks this summer, Falb said. So far this month, Falb had to lay off six employees and pause an array of programs.

“Workforce development, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships—these are the kinds of things that we will have to cut, as well as just our general community classes supporting refugees and other immigrants in our community,” Falb said. “We have waiting lists for almost everything we do, and so now those waiting lists will be longer and we won’t be able to serve as many people.”

Why did the Trump administration do this?

In withholding the funds, officials at the US Department of Education didn’t provide an explanation, except to note that it “remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the department’s statutory responsibilities.”

Falb suspects the decision was political—particularly in response to efforts to provide education for immigrants. But she says the effects will be felt far beyond those communities.

Reports show about 85,000 adults in Kent County read below the 4th grade level. And the Literacy Center doesn’t just work with immigrants and refugees, but also native English speakers, as well as anyone else looking to improve reading, writing, and employability.

“This eliminates programs for native speakers and for white people in rural Michigan, too,” Falb said. “This will affect people who are taking the next step in their career, people coming out of incarceration. We’ve even got grandpas who just want to be able to read to their grandchildren.”

‘Jeopardizing our kids future’

On Monday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a 24-state coalition suing the Trump administration over the funding freeze, calling it unconstitutional, unlawful, and a blatant overreach of executive power. Their lawsuit seeks a court order to restore the funding in full.

“These education grants are designed to help Michigan students thrive,” Nessel said. “By freezing them, the Trump White House is not just breaking the law but jeopardizing our kids’ future. … I will stand with my colleagues to protect the resources our students deserve.”

In all, the Trump administration’s funding freeze is now affecting at least six programs in Michigan that are administered through three state departments, Nessel said. 

Those include:

• Support for migrant students whose families move for seasonal work
• Professional development for teachers
• English learner and multilingual education
• After-school and enrichment programs
• Technology and classroom upgrades
• Adult literacy and workforce training

What’s next?

With federal funding frozen, Falb said she’s actively working with state officials to see if there’s any room in the state budget—or in any existing state grants—to provide temporary support. 

However,  she knows that won’t work long-term. Without state or federal relief (or a court order that requires it) she fears permanent damage to Michigan’s education system and economy.

“ A lot of people don’t understand how much talent there is in our community,” Falb said. “We have people who are doctors in their home country and they’re working at Target. That’s great, but our hospitals are full of open positions. Our manufacturers are desperate for workers.”

Falb has been scrambling to find new partners, volunteers, and donors to fill the funding gap and hoping Nessel succeeds in court. She’s also been actively encouraging Michiganders to recognize how foundational adult literacy is to every other system that keeps the state moving.

“We all want to make money for our family and care for our children,” Falb said. “When you don’t have the literacy to navigate the digital world, to get jobs, to navigate health care and health benefits, you’re pretty isolated. And all of the rest of us are impacted by folks who are isolated.”

READ MORE: Michiganders grill Trump over millions of dollars in frozen education funds

Don’t miss Michigan’s biggest stories—follow The ‘Gander on X.