GATE CITY – Almost $1 million of Scott County’s FY 2026 school budget is uncertain due to Trump administration education funding reviews.
That was the message Scott School Superintendent John Ferguson got after a Thursday electronic meeting between Virginia Superintendent of Education Emily Gullickson, chairs of the state’s school system regions and the executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.
The administration funding review was announced July 2 after an order to hold $6 billion for summer and after-school programs across the U.S.
The federal review centers on five funding categories, Ferguson said Friday. Affected Scott County funding included:
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Title Ic -migrant children education and consortium writing grant, approximately $3,000
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Title IIa - Supporting Effective Instruction, $138,000
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Title IIIa – English language acquisition
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Title IVa – Student support and enrichment, approximately $60,000 - $70,000
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Title IVb – 21st Century Community Learning Centers - $747,800
The funds have not yet been cancelled by the Trump administration, Ferguson said of information shared to the state’s school division, but their future remains uncertain.
The 21st Century Community Learning Center funds, if cut, could have the largest impact in terms of numbers of students affected, Ferguson said. The division operates three of the after-school programs – at Shoemaker Elementary, Duffield Primary and Nickelsville Elementary schools – and serves around 250 students.
The centers provide a combination of academic and tutoring activities along with a snack for participating students, Ferguson said. In some cases, the centers also give students a supervised place to stay until working parents can pick them up from school.
The Title Ic and IIIa make up a minimal part of division educational efforts because few students are taught English as a second language. Migrant students have been a small part of the division’s enrollment since the late 1990s, he added, as declining tobacco cultivation and allotments reduced the need for migrant workers.
The Trump review leaves two other federal Title programs untouched for now, Ferguson said: title VIB Special education and Title Vic preschool.
Ferguson said he did not anticipate any personnel cuts if the administration cuts those funds. The Title IIa effective instruction program helps fund two positions, but the division could absorb their cost, he added.
The federal review does not affect the division’s cafeteria and feeding program, Ferguson said. All county schools are designated eligible for free student breakfasts and lunches, and reimbursements cover food and operation costs.