The Education Department will keep billions of federal K–12 dollars flowing through its traditional grant portal this summer, according to Kirsten Baesler, the assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education. In an April 17 message to states, Baesler said the agency is responding to concerns about the July 1 formula grant timeline and will route funds through the Department of Education system rather than transitioning them to the U.S. Department of Labor. The change is intended to allow states and the departments time to coordinate procedures, processes, and training for drawdown under the Labor pathway. State leaders previously warned that delays could disrupt summer programming or even affect school start dates. The announcement still leaves open questions about whether future batches—including Native American student formula funds slated to move to the Interior Department—will follow the same routing approach, but it reduces immediate operational risk for districts preparing for summer drawdowns.