The Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) is among the many Mississippi districts holding its breath after the Trump administration issued a freeze on $137 million in federal money okayed under President Joe Biden.

The green light given by the Biden administration to spend federal pandemic grant money through next year is now in jeopardy for some 70 Mississippi districts, which could be left with an ESSER late liquidation balance, including $8.3 million for VWSD.

VWSD Superintendent Dr. Tori Holloway said the district is scheduled for a webinar Friday, April 25, to address the situation. Holloway said the issue facing the district revolves around funds already obligated for ongoing projects, but not yet spent, as well as funds that, if spent, would be reimbursed under the original agreement. Under the new announcement from the Trump administration, those funds have been frozen.

“We have to go through the late liquidation process again,” he said. “We have to reapply, list what projects are in place and that’s about as much as I know right now. MDE (Mississippi Department of Education) is going to give us further guidance next Friday.”

Holloway said the funds that have been allocated for projects, including construction at several VWSD campuses, would be reimbursed under the agreement inked during Biden’s term in office, but are now in jeopardy under the Trump administration’s funding freeze.

“Districts were not finished with projects that were in place, or didn’t fully obligate,” he said. “What that means is you have this money and you have to obligate it by a certain point. And then, even if you haven’t finished projects, but you have obligated it, they allowed you to go beyond what the original deadline was.”

Holloway said the original agreement manifested in two ways.

“Some districts were finishing up projects; others had projects where the money was obligated. Ours was obligated and we have projects still in place.”

Holloway said the district’s hope is the money promised will still be reimbursed, allowing VWSD to finish projects that were started with obligated funds expected to be on the way.

“That’s money promised to us by the previous administration that we should still be entitled to,” he said.

In a letter from Mississippi Superintendent of Education Lance Evans to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon – who originally notified officials last month that the Trump administration was immediately cutting off the money – Evans said adequate notice was not given that funding promised during the Covid-19 pandemic would be withheld.