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Judge Restores $1.1 Billion in COVID School Aid to 16 States and DC Through March 2026

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Updated May 7, 2025, 08:13 PM

U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in Manhattan has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration and the Department of Education from rescinding extensions for states to use unspent COVID-19 relief funds for schools. The order restores access to over $1.1 billion in pandemic aid that had been allocated to help K-12 schools, including funds from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Education Secretary Linda McMahon rescinded the deadline extensions in a March 28 letter, requiring states to reapply for access to remaining funds on a project-by-project basis. Her statement cited concerns about extending deadlines for taxpayer funds after the pandemic ended. The decision affected at least 16 states and the District of Columbia, including New York, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, which faced the loss of $232 million. A coalition of 15 state attorneys general sued in response. The abrupt cutoff led to the elimination of tutoring for 1,100 Baltimore students and after-school programs for 3,000 others. The court's order requires the Department of Education to restore the previously approved extensions, allowing the affected states continued access to the funds through March 2026. Congress had allocated $189 billion in total for school pandemic relief, and states still have the option to reapply for extensions.

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#Edgardo Ramos #Manhattan #Trump #Department of Education #Linda McMahon #District of Columbia #New York #Oregon #Washington #Pennsylvania #Maryland #Baltimore #Congress

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Sources

washingtontimes.com(2)reuters.com(2)orlandosentinel.com pasadenastarnews.com

The Washington Times

@WashTimes

Judge orders Trump administration to restore $1.1 billion in COVID education funds https://t.co/wPu9oSYCbm https://t.co/3BOPd7IULd

The Washington Times

@WashTimes

A federal judge in Manhattan has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from clawing back over $1.1 billion in unspent pandemic stimulus grants to K-12 schools. https://t.co/gug9Lsm0pc