# Kentucky schools lose $47M grant supporting student services  
**Published:** 2026-05-04T09:50:24.000Z  
**Source:** [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/04/kentucky-schools-grapple-with-loss-of-community-support-grant/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-schools-lose-47m-grant-supporting-student-services

Owensboro-area schools are scrambling to preserve community partnerships and student support programs after the Trump administration revoked a $47 million federal grant that had funded wraparound services across Kentucky.

The [Kentucky Lantern reports](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/04/kentucky-schools-grapple-with-loss-of-community-support-grant/) that the Full-Service Community Schools program grant, which was three years into a five-year award, supported initiatives at 40 schools across 20 districts. The administration said the grant no longer aligned with its priorities.

At Burns Elementary in Daviess County, the funding paid for wraparound early childhood services, allowing preschoolers to attend full days at school rather than splitting time between school and day care. The grant also supported the Bobcat Squad, which brought together students, school staff and community partners to address non-academic barriers to learning. Similar programs at Burns Middle School included Girls Who Run, a running club offering life skills development, and partnerships like Guys in Ties, which brought professional men to mentor eighth-grade boys.

Brian Benjamin, who coordinated the program for Owensboro Public Schools, called the grant "one of the most bipartisan and well-supported things that I've ever been a part of." He said the loss of the dedicated director position created by the grant will make it harder for schools to maintain the community partnerships they've built.

Despite the abrupt cancellation, the results spoke to the program's effectiveness. Nearly 95 percent of Kentucky Community Schools Initiative schools saw drops in chronic absenteeism during the 2024-25 school year, with math proficiency increasing by an average of 10.79 percentage points and reading by 9.24 points across participating schools.

[The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence](https://prichardcommittee.org/), a Lexington-based nonprofit that administered the grant, is now among the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision. The committee has called on families, educators, local leaders, businesses and philanthropic partners to sustain community involvement in schools without the federal money.

Brigitte Blom, president and CEO of the Prichard Committee, said the loss comes as Kentucky is adopting a new system for K-12 assessment and accountability that encourages community involvement in setting standards. "The community can play an important role in removing those non-academic barriers," she said.

[The Trump administration's cancellation of 19 community school grants nationwide](https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/02/13/trump-cuts-community-schools/) worth $168 million has drawn opposition from members of Congress who note that [Congress approved $150 million](https://iel.org/iel-celebrates-passing-of-fy26-federal-spending-package-that-includes-funding-for-key-education-programs/) for the program in fiscal year 2026, reflecting bipartisan support.

In Daviess County, some programs appear poised to continue with community support. Emmy Woosley, executive director of the Foundation for Daviess County Public Schools, believes initiatives like Guys in Ties will persist. However, more resource-intensive activities, such as in-school transportation for English language learners to receive after-school tutoring, may not survive without the federal funding.

## Sources

- [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/04/kentucky-schools-grapple-with-loss-of-community-support-grant/)
- [Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence](https://prichardcommittee.org/)
- [Washington Post coverage of Trump education cuts to community schools](https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/02/13/trump-cuts-community-schools/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Kentucky Lantern, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/04/kentucky-schools-grapple-with-loss-of-community-support-grant/.