A collision of deadlines and politics has given rise to that most perfect, and increasingly frequent, of D.C. storms: the impending government shutdown.

Current funding ran out at midnight EST on January 20th. After that, only government employees performing “essential government functions” continue working. Very few employees in the Education Department meet that essential standard.

More than 90 percent of the Education Department’s 3,900 staff will be furloughed, according to a memo from the department written ahead of another possible shutdown late last year.

Most immediately, it could halt the efforts of many states working to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act as they wait for staff at the U.S. Department of Education to review and approve their state plans.

Not so lucky are the school districts that rely on $1 billion in Impact Aid, federal grants that aim to make up for districts that educate “federally connected” students, like children of military members, or whose districts contain non-taxable federal property, like national parks or military bases.

In extreme cases, districts have had to take out loans to meet basic needs like paying utility bills or meeting payroll.

Read the full article on government shutdown by Carolyn Phenicie at The 74