HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is joining a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump Administration over hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding for state schools that is being frozen.

The funding goes towards programs for students and teachers, training and professional development for teachers, and adult and family literacy programs.

Shapiro on Monday joined two dozen dozen other states in the lawsuit, saying that all children in Pennsylvania deserve “the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.”

“Once again, the Trump Administration is trying to take away dollars that were committed to Pennsylvania — this time from our schools,” Shapiro said in a statement. “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.”

About $230 million in federal funding is being withheld from the Pennsylvania Department of Education by the U.S. Department of Education, the Shapiro Administration states. This is after the Governor’s Office says the USDE “abruptly and arbitrarily reversed the normal course” of funding on June 30.

School districts are usually able to access those funds on July 1 to help with budget planning.

The Shapiro Admin. provided a more detailed breakdown of the frozen funding.

Federal funding breakdown

• $11 million under Title I-C; these funds would be used to address the needs of students who move frequently because of their family’s agricultural work.
• $70 million under Title II-A, Supporting Effective Instruction – in Pennsylvania; these funds are used to help recruit new teachers and also to improve skills of current teachers.
• $20 million under Title III-A, English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement; This program helps deliver language instruction educational programs to students.
• $55 million under Title IV-A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAE); This helps the state Department of Education to implement, oversee and support the SSAE grant program.
• $54 million under Title IV-B, 21^st Century Community Learning Centers; These funds help cover the cost of before and after-school programs and services such as drug and violence prevention, counseling, technology education and more.
• $18.6 million of Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Grant (AEFLA) funds; This program helps family members get the education and skills necessary to help their student grow.
• $2 million of Integrated English Literacy and Civic Education Grants (IELCE) funds; These funds are used to help provide English literacy and civics education services along with activities.

Other states on the lawsuit

Pennsylvania joins 23 other states, along with the District of Columbia, in the lawsuit filed against President Trump. 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, and Wisconsin are also a part of the suit.

As reported by The Hill, the lawsuit alleges the Trump Administration is stopping a total of $6 billion in funding for education. The pause is because the federal government wants to review where the funds are headed.