New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday, Aug. 1, celebrated a significant victory for students, families, and schools across the country as the US Department of Education (ED) released nearly $7 billion in critical education funding that the Trump administration had unlawfully frozen.
The reversal follows a lawsuit filed last month by Attorney General James and 22 other attorneys general, and the governors of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, challenging ED’s abrupt decision to halt this funding.
On Friday, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) received notice that all previously frozen grant funding has been awarded and will be released.
“This is a huge win for our schools, our students, and the rule of law,” said Attorney General James. “When the administration abruptly froze billions in education funding, they jeopardized afterschool childcare programs, teacher support services, and vital classroom resources just weeks before the new school year.”
In July, James said, “We took swift legal action, and today we are celebrating the results.
“I will always stand up to protect our students and New York State,” she pledged.
“We are grateful that the federal government has fulfilled its commitment to the students of New York state by reinstating the grant funds that were previously withheld,” said NYSED Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. “These vital resources will empower schools and districts to provide critical support and services to their students, educators, and school communities.
“We thank the Attorney General and our congressional delegation for their collaboration in advocating for the restoration of this funding,” she added. “The State Education Department and Board of Regents remain committed to working with all levels of government to ensure every student receives the high-quality education they deserve.”
James said that, on Jun. 30, the Trump administration unlawfully froze funding for six congressionally authorized education programs just weeks before schools were set to open in many states.
She said the funding supports many services, including education for English learners and immigrant children, classroom technology, afterschool enrichment programs, adult education, mental health services, and workforce development initiatives.
In New York, James said more than $463 million in federal funding was frozen overnight, leaving many summer programs unfunded and threatening services set to begin in the fall.
The New York Attorney General said the frozen funds constitute 13 percent of the state’s total K-12 education funding, and the majority goes directly to New York’s 730 school districts, which had to scramble to address major budget shortfalls.
On Jul. 14, James and the coalition filed their lawsuit and a motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that the freeze violated multiple federal laws, including statutes authorizing and appropriating funds for the affected programs, federal budget procedures, and constitutional provisions like the separation of powers and the Presentment Clause.
On Friday, the ED sent New York grant award notices for all six impacted programs, confirming that the frozen funding would be released.
“The release of this federal education funding means critical programs can now resume just in time for the upcoming school year,” James said.
She said this includes more than $125 million for teacher training and development, $107 million to improve school safety and classroom environments, and $102 million to support afterschool and summer programs that working families rely on for childcare and enrichment.
James said English language learners – especially in New York City, where nearly half of public school students speak a language other than English at home – will “once again have access to vital literacy and language instruction.”
She said the funds also restore $52 million for adult education and workforce development programs and $10 million to support immigrant students.
“Thousands of students will now be able to return to summer learning programs that had been canceled, and at least 67 full-time jobs at NYSED will be preserved,” the New York Attorney General said.
