School systems, which rely mostly on state and local funding, still have access to the biggest blocks of federal funding. But money has been cut off for some programs, and federal Education Department workers who help states and schools with a wide range of issues have been furloughed or laid off.
During the shutdown, the Education Department has said it will continue to make money available for two key grant programs — Title I, for schools serving low-income communities, and IDEA, for special education — as well as federal student aid including loans and Pell grants. For other programs, the impact is less clear.
The department has said it would not issue new federal education grants during the shutdown. Most grant programs make awards over the summer, and the department said grantees should be able to draw upon money that was awarded previously. But some programs did not receive annual disbursements from the federal government because they were scheduled for Oct. 1, after the shutdown had started.
Here is a guide to localizing stories about how the shutdown is affecting schools.