Teachers and school staff are on the chopping block in Cheboygan County thanks to the Trump administration

Up in the rural community of Wolverine, superintendent Matt Baughman is worried about how to keep his schools afloat if the Trump administration decides not to release federal funding for public education. 

Matthew Baughman is used to people underestimating his school district. 

“It’s easy to overlook a small, rural district like Wolverine,” said Baughman, superintendent and elementary principal for Wolverine Community Schools. But, he added, there’s more to the school district than meets the eye. 

With the support of federal education funding, Wolverine Community Schools has established a strong, supportive environment for students and staff. They’ve invested in professional development for teachers and school staff, which has increased retention. They’ve provided thousands of free breakfasts and lunches for students, which has allowed the kids to stay focused on their studies.  And they’ve looked for other ways to utilize federal funding to achieve real, sustained academic growth for WCS.

“We have used those funds to help the teachers in our school, and it has made a difference for students,” said Baughman, adding that Wolverine Elementary School was recently named among the top 4% of all Michigan elementary schools in a report by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. 

“We’re not just holding our own—we’re leading the way and we are accomplishing something rare and noteworthy.”.

Related: Small school, big achievement: Wolverine Elementary earns top honor in Northern Michigan

However, as President Donald Trump and his administration continue to toy with federal education funding, including freezing over $157 million for Michigan schools as they review whether or not the curriculum aligns with Trump’s education priorities, Baughman worries about how school districts like his own will be affected.

“[The federal funding] is one of those linchpins that hold us all together, and it scares me to think about being able to keep it together by losing those funds,” said Baughman.

“Once you start looking at it, the whole system kind of starts to feel like it’s going to fall apart.”

Related: Michiganders grill Trump after administration freezes $157 million in federal education funding

What’s happening?

While the federal education funding was already approved by Congress to be released by July 1, a spokesperson for the US Office of Management and Budget said there is an “ongoing programmatic review” of federal education funding to ensure it aligns with Trump’s education priorities, like removing diversity initiatives in schools and teacher training programs. No decisions have yet been made as to when the funding will be released. 

The funding includes over $63.7 million in Title II funds for staff professional development, $36.7 million in Title IV-B funds for out-of-school time program funding, $38.3 million in Title IV-A funds for academic enrichment programs, $5.4 million in Title I-C funds for migrant education, and $12.8 million in Title III funds for English learners. 

“It feels like the Wild West. The rule of law no longer seems to apply in our country,” said Baughman.

Baughman said federal funding accounts for at least 10% of the school district’s budget, and that without it, the district would have to turn to either the state government or local taxes to prevent laying off at least a dozen WCS staff whose salaries are fully or partially paid for with federal funds—including several teacher aides, cafeteria workers, and administrative staff. 

While Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined forces with nearly two dozen attorneys general from across the US to sue the Trump administration over the federal education funding freeze, Baughman says he is trying to be optimistic, but he is concerned about the impact on communities like Wolverine. 

“Michigan has been the victim of serial underfunding for decades, and now they’re trying to say money doesn’t matter,” said Baughman.

“That’s not the case in my community.”

Related: Crumbling schools, crowded classes: Michigan’s students say it’s time for billionaires to help fund public education