WASHINGTON (AP) — An order was issued by a federal judge on Tuesday instructing the Education Department to reverse a freeze on the remaining U.S. relief funds allocated to schools to assist students in their academic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the crisis, the federal government allocated $189 billion in aid to schools, granting them wide discretion on how to utilize the funds. While the majority of the money had already been spent, some school districts were granted extensions to the deadline, allowing them more time to allocate the funds. These districts utilized the funds for various purposes such as after-school tutoring, summer school, hiring social workers, college counselors, purchasing library books, and making renovations to enhance the safety of school buildings.
On March 28, Education Secretary Linda McMahon notified school officials that the deadline had been moved up to that very day. She indicated that the Department would consider releasing funds but only on a case-by-case basis. McMahon stated, “Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which consist of taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic has ended is not in line with the Department’s priorities.”
In response to McMahon’s decision, officials from sixteen states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit, ultimately resulting in the recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in New York City. Since assuming office in January, President Donald Trump has made unilateral cuts to education funding and reduced the size of the Education Department, leading to numerous legal disputes. The Trump administration has also eliminated teacher-training programs that aided rural schools in addressing educator shortages and has threatened to withhold funding from schools implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
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