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| AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File |
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Education Department to undo a freeze on the last of the U.S. relief money given to schools to help students recover academically from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government provided $189 billion in aid money for schools during the crisis, giving them broad latitude in how to spend it.
Nearly all that money had been spent, but some school districts received deadline extensions that gave them additional time to use it. Districts spent it on things like after-school tutoring, summer school, social workers, college counselors, library books and renovations to make school buildings safer.
On March 28, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to school officials saying she had moved the deadline up — to that very day. She said the department would consider releasing some funds, but only on a project-by-project basis.
“Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities,” McMahon said. --->READ MORE HERE
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore more than $1 billion in pandemic-related education funding.
Hawaii is part of a coalition of 16 states, including the District of Columbia, in suing the U.S. Department of Education over its intent to terminate grants that were earmarked from the American Rescue Plan Act which passed law in 2021.
The act was backed by hundreds of millions of dollars to support the academic recovery of students whose education was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and negative effects of the school closures and online learning.
The Biden administration had extended the funding through March 2026. But the Trump administration had attempted to rescind that extension, saying enough time has already been given to use the funds.
The lawsuit alleges Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s withdrawal of funding violates the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the process by which federal agencies develop and issue regulations.
McMahon notified states of the cancellation back in March and wrote, “Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the department’s priorities.” --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
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