Glen Lake and Leland are preparing for millions of dollars of federal funding that is not available in future school year budgets.
An executive order in March resulted in major downsizing of the Department of Education, with a goal of cutting the program altogether.
The Lakers received over $3 million of federal Impact Aid last year.
This money is meant to be in lieu of property tax revenue lost with creation of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
“We also meet with our elected officials in Congress to advocate for the program. ... We would like to thank our elected officials for their continued support of this vital program that serves our children and children around the country,” Glen Lake Superintendent Jason Misner said. “We also urge them to continue their support and ensure that the money that was appropriated for fiscal year 2025 be distributed efficiently to districts. This money makes up roughly 20% of our budget.”
Misner is confident that Glen Lake will continue to receive bipartisan support for this program in the federal government to ensure that students and communities continue to receive high-quality educational experiences.
For Leland, Superintendent Stephanie Long said she has no idea what will happen regarding Impact Aid in fiscal year 2026.
“We are very concerned about the program and our funding. We did finally receive the first portion for the year 2025 payment over spring break, which was late, but we are not sure what will happen with the second payment that we typically receive around June,” Long said. “According to the Department of Education, all FIA funds have been distributed. Without a new appropriation in the FY26 budget, there are no more funds. We will continue to advocate with Congressman (Jack) Bergman, who represents 19 schools in his first Congressional district who receive some type of federal Impact Aid, and our Michigan congressional representatives and senators to keep the program intact. It is the only unrestricted, direct-to-school source of funding we receive, and we rely heavily on it to pay the government’s tax bill on federal property within our district boundaries.”
Long met with Bergman as recently as February during a NAFIS Leadership Fly-in conference.
In a March press release, NAFIS expressed concern about the Trump administration’s directive to temporarily freeze all federal grant and loan disbursements, including the Impact Aid Program.
Impact Aid is a critical K-12 education grant program that partially reimburses school districts for the lost revenue and additional costs associated with the presence of nontaxable federal property, such as military installations, treaty lands, federal low-rent housing, national parks, national laboratories. This funding supports the education of more than eight million students across approximately 1,100 school districts.
“Impact Aid ensures federally impacted districts can provide high-quality education and meet critical needs, teacher salaries, mental health supports, and technologies,” said NAFIS board president and superintendent Keith Mispagel. “With payments delayed, some schools are already facing budget gaps, and continued delays could force tough decisions about cuts to programs and services.”
The White House Executive Order signed by President Donald Trump on March 20 states that federal programs have failed children, families, and teachers.
Taxpayers spent around $200 billion at the federal level on schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of the more than $60 billion they spend annually on federal school funding.
“While the Department of Education does not educate anyone, it maintains a public relations office that includes over 80 staffers at a cost of more than $10 million per year,” the executive order stated. “The Department of Education’s main functions can, and should, be returned to the states.”
The closure of the department must come from an act by Congress.
