North Carolina, among 24 Democratic states, suing over funding pause to after school programs

(The Hill) — Twenty-four Democratic states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging the Trump administration’s pause on education funding for after-school programs, along with other specialized instruction.

The lawsuit argues the Trump administration has violated the Constitution and several federal laws by stopping $6 billion in funding that goes to after-school programs, English lessons for non-native speakers, training for teachers, expansion of science and arts curricula and anti-bullying programs.

“Public schools across North Carolina, especially in rural areas, need this money to keep teachers in the classroom and keep kids safe while they learn,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “It’s unlawful and unconstitutional for the Department of Education to withhold money that Congress has appropriated. I’m going to court to get this money for our students, our schools, and North Carolina families.”  

The money, which is normally released on July 1, was held unexpectedly, with no timeline regarding when the government may release it. 

“While the NC Department of Public Instruction respects the federal administration’s right to review programs, I must emphasize that our legal obligations to serve these students remain unchanged, and the timing creates significant and unnecessary challenges for schools, community organizations, and most importantly, the children who depend on these services,” said North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice (Mo) Green. “I support efforts, including this nationwide lawsuit, to resolve this situation quickly and ensure that North Carolina students receive the support they need and deserve and that our federal government agreed to provide them.”  

The federal government says it has paused the funds to review where they are going, saying the priorities do not align with the goals of the administration.  

“This is an ongoing programmatic review of education funding. Initial findings have shown that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda. In one case, NY public schools used English Language Acquisition funds to promote illegal immigrant advocacy organizations. In another, Washington state used funds to direct illegal immigrants towards scholarships intended for American students,” a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said. 

The effects of this pause have been immediate, with the lawsuit alleging summer programs have already been canceled or are at risk, and classes for teacher development or English learners have been stalled or scaled back. The states say they had no time to make up the funding gap, as there was no heads-up on the pause.  

The states are seeking a preliminary injunction and for the judge to compel the federal government to release the funding.  

Along with North Carolina, the lawsuit was joined by Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.