Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia, led mainly by Democratic officials, filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that the Trump administration unlawfully withheld $6.8 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools.
The big picture: The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget caused disruption by freezing funding for various vital programs approved by Congress, including support for migrant farm workers, teacher training, English language learning, and after-school programs.
- The administration’s freeze also affected funding for adult literacy and job-readiness programs, which were legally required to be released to states by July 1, but were withheld with the Department of Education citing a change in administration as the reason.
- The lawsuit contends that the freeze violated the U.S. Constitution by disregarding Congress’s authority over spending, and also ran afoul of federal administrative law by not providing a rational explanation for withholding the funds.
- States claim that the freeze has led to disruptions in school systems, resulting in the cancellation of summer and after-school programs, as well as other initiatives, leaving school districts struggling to compensate for the budget shortfalls.
