Pennsylvania has joined 25 other states in a federal lawsuit challenging the recent education funding freeze installed by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The U.S. Department of Education announced on June 30 that it would delay distributing money that had already been approved by Congress for a number of school programs.
For Pennsylvania, that money amounted to $230 million, and both state and local school officials said that the delay will hurt initiatives that are vital for students.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said on Monday that Pennsylvania will be part of the lawsuit challenging the move as unlawful.
The cuts threaten programs that help students across Pennsylvania to learn, including they include after school programs, teacher training and recruitment, adult and family literacy programs, technology purchases, connecting students to in-demand industries, and education for children from farming families, his office said.
In February, Shapiro filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s hold on federal funding, and in April he joined a multistate lawsuit to protect public health funding in Pennsylvania after the Trump administration canceled more than half a billion dollars in public health grants. Shapiro also previously sued the Trump administration for its decision to revoke hundreds of millions of dollars it approved to 116 Pennsylvania school districts.
To date, more than $2 billion in federal funding has been restored to Pennsylvania as a result of those suits, Shapiro’s office said.
“Every Pennsylvania child deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed,” Shapiro said Monday in a press release about the most recent lawsuit.
“Once again, the Trump administration is trying to take away dollars that were committed to Pennsylvania — this time from our schools. Today, I’m suing to force the Trump administration to deliver the money our students and schools were promised and are owed — critical funds that school districts rely on to meet their budgets, train high-quality teachers, provide afterschool programs for kids, and so much more. Because if anyone tries to hurt students here in Pennsylvania, they’ll have to go through me.”
The lawsuit is co-led by California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.
The funds being withheld are typically available for states to begin accessing on July 1 of each year.
PDE released this list of affected programs and estimates of their total impact on educational entities in Pennsylvania:
- Migrant Education – Estimated $11 million
- Supporting Effective Instruction – Estimated $70 million
- English Language Acquisition – Estimated $20 million
- Student Support and Academic Enrichment – Estimated $55 million
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers – Estimated $54 million
- Adult Education Basic Grants to States – Estimated $20 million
Local school districts have not yet received word from the state Department of Education on exactly how much of their funds will be held up, putting them in the same limbo as districts nationwide, with the federal department holding up release of about $6.2 billion across the affected programs.
That represents more than 10 percent of federal education funding for all states and territories, according to the Learning Policy Institute, an independent education research nonprofit.
The U.S. Department of Education referred questions about the delay to the federal Office of Management and Budget, which told the Associated Press that an initial review showed schools used some of the money to support immigrants in the country illegally or promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. The administration said it had not made any final decisions about whether to withhold or release individual grants.
“Many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.
Shenandoah Valley Superintendent Brian Waite was among the school officials from Schuylkill County, though, who last week said that the funding greatly benefits local students.
“There is a direct impact on staffing, professional development, after-school programs, and academic enrichment opportunities if this funding is not released,” Waite said. “These programs play a vital role in student success, and reductions will affect our ability to provide equitable and comprehensive educational experiences.”
Shenandoah Valley has analyzed the numbers and found that about $170,000 is being held up for its schools.
The delay will disrupt services such as after-school programming for English learners, and force the district to absorb some costs locally, such as the salary and of a classroom teacher, Waite said. The delay of about $54,000 for student support and academic enrichment could affect dual enrollment opportunities, which allow students to earn college credit while in high school, making families responsible for the full cost of these courses.
The federal funds being impacted are equivalent to nearly 2.5 mills in local tax revenue in Shenandoah, Waite said.
“As an underfunded school district, it is imperative that Shenandoah Valley receive these federal funds. Our students rely on these critical supports, and any delay — let alone a cut — will have meaningful consequences on their learning and access to opportunity.”