Today, Governor Josh Shapiro joined a multistate lawsuit with 15 other states and the District of Columbia challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to abruptly revoke $185 million in funding owed to Pennsylvania, much of which the United States Department of Education had already approved for distribution. These funds include $183.6 million owed to 116 Pennsylvania school districts, charter schools, intermediate units, and career and technical centers and $1.8 million owed to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This funding supports mental health resources for students, provides access to reliable high-speed internet, and enables HVAC installation to improve student health and safety.
Governor Shapiro has been working aggressively to protect Pennsylvania taxpayers and ensure the federal government honors its obligations. In February, the Governor filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unconstitutional freeze of federal funding, and just last week Governor Shapiro joined a multistate lawsuit to protect public health in Pennsylvania after the Trump Administration abruptly and arbitrarily canceled more than half a billion dollars in public health grants. As a result of the Governor taking legal action both times, $2.7 billion in federal funding owed to Pennsylvanians has been restored.
Today, Governor Shapiro is once again taking action to ensure the federal government upholds its commitments to Pennsylvania, as the law requires.
“Congress and the federal government made a commitment to our students, and school districts across Pennsylvania started construction to make schools safer, delivered supplies to students, and invested to create more opportunity for our kids based on that commitment,” said Governor Shapiro. “Now the Trump Administration is trying to renege on its commitments to our kids and leave Pennsylvania taxpayers holding the bag. Every Pennsylvania student deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. I’m taking action to preserve that freedom and ensure no Pennsylvania student is harmed by the federal government’s decision to go back on its word."
In early 2025, the United States Department of Education (USDE) granted Pennsylvania an extension of time to access hundreds of millions of dollars in funds previously awarded to students in grades K-12 attending both public and private schools.
On Friday, March 28, 2025, at 5:03 pm, with no advance notice or warning, USDE and Education Secretary McMahon abruptly and arbitrarily reversed course, notifying Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) by letter that as of 5:00 pm that day, USDE had unilaterally rescinded the extensions previously approved by USDE. The extensions had allowed Pennsylvania to continue accessing awarded funds – which have already been obligated to vital education programs – through March 2026. But through the rescission letter, Secretary McMahon and USDE suddenly declared that the period for accessing the funds had already expired.
Many of the projects funded by these dollars support critical programs for Pennsylvania schools like addressing academic and mental health needs, implementing technology upgrades that let students learn with modern tools, and installing critical infrastructure improvements for schools across the Commonwealth to ensure students' health and safety. Infrastructure improvement projects in particular are often subject to delivery or construction delays outside of the control of school districts.
Many Pennsylvania school districts and local education agencies such as intermediate units and charter schools have already spent the money to provide these critical services and upgrades to students. Under the standard process for these grants, PDE then reimburses schools, and USDE fulfills their commitment to reimburse PDE. By abruptly canceling $185 million it had promised to Pennsylvania schools, USDE has left Pennsylvania taxpayers on the hook.
For example, Reading School District was granted over $20 million to replace and install new HVAC systems in 3 middle schools and make building repairs at 7 different schools. Reading is currently in the middle of these projects relying on the money that is owed to them by the federal government.
For student safety, Hollidaysburg School District was spending their allocation of the funding on electronic locking doors. The funding for this will now fall on the taxpayers of Hollidaysburg because the Administration broke their promise.
Scranton School District was granted $104,000 to provide homeless students with backpacks, winter clothes, blankets, and hygiene products.
These unlawful cuts will weaken Pennsylvania’s schools infrastructure, where our children learn and put their health and safety at risk. Governor Shapiro is taking action to reverse this abrupt and unlawful action and ensure Pennsylvania is legally protected so that Commonwealth agencies can continue their work to improve Pennsylvanians’ lives.
The lawsuit is co-led by New York, Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington DC.
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