• The U.S. Department of Education released nearly $7 billion in frozen federal education funds after lawsuits from over 20 states. • The funding freeze had put a $2.6 million strain on Gaston County Schools' budget. • The freeze impacted programs such as after-school activities, STEM education, and mental health support.

The United States Department of Education unfroze nearly $7 billion in federal education funding after the Trump administration was sued by more than 20 states, including North Carolina.

The school system in Gaston County was facing a $2.6 million hole in its budget due to the freeze .

When Brookside Elementary School teacher Austin Ferguson first heard about the pause on funding, he said, he was disheartened.

“As a teacher who works for Gaston County Schools at a

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