ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - More than $200 million worth of education grants are being withheld from Georgia, according to Learning Policy Institute.

The Trump administration is currently reviewing whether certain state programs are advancing what officials call a “radical left-wing agenda.”

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had approved the funds in March, and Georgia’s education budget was finalized in June, but the OMB has since placed the grants under review.

With just weeks before the new school year begins, school staff have already been hired and families have made plans, leaving districts in limbo.

Some of the programs impacted include federal grants for migrant education, English learners and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which provide extended learning opportunities outside regular school hours.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the OMB said, “This is an ongoing programmatic review of education funding. Initial findings show that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda. In one case, NY public schools used English Language Acquisition funds to promote illegal immigrant advocacy organizations. In another, Washington state used funds to direct illegal immigrants towards scholarships intended for American students. In yet another, School Improvement funds were used to conduct a seminar on ‘queer resistance in the arts.’"

When pressed about the specific situation in Georgia, the agency did not respond.

“The federal government has blindsided our state,” said Verdalia Turner, a former teacher and president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers.

Turner sent a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp and state legislative leaders calling for a special session to address the shortfall in state funds.

“They’ve done it before,” she said, referencing past emergency budget actions by the legislature.

Not all education leaders agree that a special session is necessary.

Lisa Morgan, a kindergarten teacher and president of the Georgia Association of Educators, said Kemp should use his political capital to intervene.

“Our Governor ran saying he wanted to be the education governor. If he is the education governor, then he needs to speak up in support of our public schools and the 1.7 million students in Georgia who attend them,” Morgan said.

The Governor’s Office said there are currently no plans to call a special legislative session.

Georgia’s State School Superintendent Richard Woods has publicly urged the federal government to release the funds.

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