WASHINGTON, D.C. (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a statement on the Trump Administration’s failure to meet a key deadline to distribute $6.2 billion in federal funding for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Included is $108 million to support teacher training, after school programming, mental health resources, more than 12 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 funding.

“Virginians know that high-quality public schools and the well-being of our children are critical to the Commonwealth’s future and economic success. The Trump Administration’s decision to withhold over $6 billion in funding that Congress appropriated for schools across the country, while pushing for a disastrous megabill that slashes programs Virginians rely on to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, tells you everything you need to know about their priorities. This move will devastate our students, especially those in our rural communities. We demand that the Administration immediately provide Virginia schools with the $108 million in funding we voted to secure, and urge all of Virginia’s leaders to do the same.”

The money was supposed to be delivered this week. The Education Department would only say the funding is under review, even though President Trump approved it in March. Many schools have already hired staff for the affected programs