A coalition of school districts, teachers’ unions, parents, and advocacy groups has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing federal officials of unlawfully freezing some $6.8 billion in education funds Congress had earmarked for programs such as after-school care.
Filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island on July 21, the lawsuit targets the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The plaintiffs say the administration failed to meet a statutory July 1 deadline to release funds appropriated by Congress for after-school care, summer programming, English learner instruction, migrant education, and teacher training.
“For years, the Department has carried out these statutory mandates without incident,” the complaint states, noting that funds historically have been distributed on July 1….