This Was Supposed to Be a Quick Update
- Ashley Craven
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 16
And then the federal government defunded some of our programs... so now it’s a not-so-quick, slightly dramatic, but very necessary rundown of what’s happening in our schools.
I have tried to start this post multiple times, but so many things have been happening that I was hoping there would be a lull in gestures dramatically at everything... but that doesn’t seem to be happening. So I’ll go ahead and share what I have and what I know for now.
Federal Funding Freeze - What We Just Lost
Back in May, the Oak Ridge Board of Education passed the 2025–2026 school year budget. And since then? A whole mess. There’s now a freeze on federal education funds, which is already hitting families hard.
The biggest, most immediate loss? Our 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC)Â afterschool program.
I’ve had several people ask me what the difference is between 21st CCLC and ECC (Extended Child Care), and which program is affected. So here’s a quick breakdown:
21st CCLC is a federally funded grant awarded on a school-by-school basis.  Glenwood Elementary and Willow Brook Elementary are recipients of the grant based on their proportion of low-income students and ability to staff the program.  This grant provided opportunities at no cost to the students at these locations only. The 21st CCLC program offered academic enrichment during non-school hours, including tutoring services, robotics, social-emotional learning, nutrition education, etc.
This is the program that has being terminated for the 25-26 school year based on loss of federal grant funding.
It will affect approximately 300 students who relied on these services.
Extended Child Care (ECC) is a supervised before and after school program for K-4th grade students at each elementary campus. ECC is also available to students during most breaks and throughout the summer. ECC is a non-profit organization that does require a weekly fee to register and attend.  ECC is a comprehensive child-care program with the commitment to help children develop physical and social skills and emotional well-being.
This program is still in place for the upcoming school year.
As of this writing - 7/16/2025, 24 states plus D.C. are suing the federal government for withholding $6.8 billion in education funds that Congress already approved.
If you want to hear from someone who’s actually taking action, here’s a 2-minute explainer from North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson that breaks down the lawsuit.
What You Can Do:
Share this post and help others understand what’s happening.
Call your state and federal reps. Ask what the plan is to support students affected by the loss of 21st CCLC.
Support your neighbors. This cut is going to ripple. If you can help a parent with pickup, volunteer with Boys & Girls Club, or support your local PTA or Family Resource Center... now is the time.
What’s in the Oak Ridge 25–26 Budget?
Now back to that budget we passed in May - the one that we thought would be fully funded. It prioritized real investment with an emphasis on raising pay for all teachers and staff, so we can attract and retain top talent. Some of the highlights:
20.96% increase to Regular Instruction
This includes teacher salaries, educational assistants, and benefits packages as well as things like textbooks, software programs, furniture and instructional equipment.
9.36% increase for Special Education
This includes Sped teacher salaries, educational assistants, benefits packages, speech pathology, special education equipment, and software.
7.1% increase to Career & Technical Education
This includes teacher salaries, educational assistants, and benefits packages as well as things like contracted services and instructional materials Think: drones, 3D printers, welding tools, auto repair supplies, and even aviation instruction
48.47% increase to the Contingency Fund
This is a designated fund for instructional expenses/activities that cannot be immediately classified in one of the other instructional categories.
12.85% increase in Health Services
This covers the district’s Wellness coordinator and school nurses, benefits packages, interpreter services, additional supplies such as AED replacement pads and nurses’ office supplies, as well as program funding for things like the Turkey Trots and Vaping Prevention Education.
4.84% increase in Other Student Support
This covers the school counseling staff salaries and benefits as well as other contracted services such as behavioral specialists, EMT and SRO services at sporting events, and the annual cost of digitizing and electronically storying student records.
We didn’t vote just to keep the lights on, we aimed to grow. And that makes the loss of outside funding even harder.
School Board Meeting Recap: June 9, 2025
Even with all the big financial news, the June board meeting was full of reminders of why we do this. Here are a few highlights:
Captain Steve Mellard shared what the Civil Air Patrol offers for students.
Heather Crouch and Dr. Madison Branham introduced a School Telehealth program in partnership with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Nurses can now connect to doctors via video and use virtual diagnostic tools. It’s covered by TennCare (aka Medicaid)... for now and private insurance and will reduce absenteeism and prevent unnecessary ER visits.
Secret City Academy’s Cooking & Nutrition Class made dinner for the board: chicken pot pie and cookie cake. These are 7th and 8th graders — many of whom make dinner for their families because their parents work second shift. This class teaches real-life survival and academic skills.
The Oak Ridge High School Baseball Team was honored for their monster season: 36 wins, 35 home runs, 2.1 ERA. Only 3 seniors graduated, so we’re excited for what’s ahead.
We also renewed our food services contract, passed the updated student code of conduct, and approved policies on:
Vacations and Holidays
Attendance
Student Wellness
Our next meeting is Monday, August 4Â at 304 New York Avenue.
I’d love to see you there.
If You Made It This Far…
Thank you. I know it’s a lot. But this is what’s happening in our schools, and this is why I ran. If we want a community where every student has the opportunity to thrive, we have to stay informed and connected.
Let’s keep growing together,
Ashley