Judge Orders Trump Administration to Release Pandemic Relief Funds for Schools

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, a federal judge told the Education Department to unfreeze the last of the U.S. aid money that was sent to schools to help kids get back on track academically after the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the crisis, the federal government gave schools $189 billion in help money, which they could spend in any way they chose.

Almost all of that money had been spent, but some school districts got extra time to use it by getting extensions on their deadlines. It was used by school districts to pay for things like summer school, social workers, college counsellors, library books, and repairs to make school buildings safer.

Lina McMahon, the secretary of education, told school officials in a letter on March 28 that the limit had been pushed up to that very day. She said that the department might give some money out, but only for certain projects.

It’s not in line with the Department’s priorities, McMahon said, to keep extending deadlines for COVID-related grants that are paid for with taxpayer money years after the pandemic ended.

Because of this, officials in sixteen states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits, which led to the order from U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in New York City on Tuesday.

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has cut funding for schools and slashed the size of the Education Department without consulting anyone. This has caused many court challenges. The Trump administration also cut programs that trained teachers that helped rural schools deal with a lack of teachers. They have also threatened to stop giving money to schools that have programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion.