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Posted: Jul 21, 2025 6:37 PMUpdated: Jul 21, 2025 6:39 PM

Federal Education Department Withholds $500K From Bartlesville Schools

The Trump administration is withholding approximately $6.2 billion in federal education funds, including more than a half-million dollars for Bartlesville Public Schools.

 

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At Monday evening's Bartlesville Board of Education meeting, Dr. Stephanie Curtis, the school district's executive director of personnel and school support, said funding used for teacher professional development, support for English as a Second Language programs, advanced placement testing for students and adult education are impacted by the withholding.

 

The amount withheld for Bartlesville is $515,141.

 

Curtis says the withholding for this school year came as a surprise to her.

 

Curtis says the Trump administration is alleging some states were using the funding to promote DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives in schools, something Curtis says is not the case in Bartlesville, or in Oklahoma to her knowledge.

 

The funds were approved by Congress and signed into law, but the U.S. Department of Education announced it will not release the funds pending review.

 

Curtis says the future of important professional development programs for teachers are in peril if the funds continue to be withheld.

 

Curtis says she is not hearing anything from the state or federal departments of education on whether or not the funds will be released, even though they have been approved by Congress — leaving the school district with more questions than answers on how these programs will continue the future.

 

FUNDS BEING WITHHELD FROM BARTLESVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS