On April 10, a group of Democratic state attorneys general, along with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, sued the Trump Administration over access to previously-approved funding to address the long -term effects of Covid-19 on elementary and high school students. On March 28, the Department of Education sent a letter to the plaintiff states notifying them that they could no longer access the funds, totaling $1.1 billion, under programs enacted as part of the Biden Administration's Covid relief plan.
The letter rescinding the funding had stated that "the COVID pandemic [has already] ended," and therefore extending deadlines for COVID-related grants "is not consistent with the Department's priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion." But the Complaint alleges that many of the areas of focus for the funding "are not tied to the duration of the public health emergency, including evidence-based interventions (such as summer learning, extended day programs, and afterschool initiatives) intended to mitigate the long-term effects of learning disruptions caused by the pandemic; addressing academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, especially for marginalized groups like low-income students; and providing educational technology to enhance learning environments."
The Department of Education had previously said that the states could access the funds through March 2026. The Complaint seeks an order vacating and setting aside the Department of Education's rescission letter, and an injunction precluding the Department from taking any action to prevent the states from accessing the funds through March 2026.
The plaintiffs include New York, Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania (through Governor Shapiro, acting in his official capacity), and the District of Columbia.
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