Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that the U.S. Department of Education has released previously withheld education funding to Maryland. Last month, Attorney General Brown joined a coalition in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s abrupt and unlawful decision to freeze this funding.
On June 30, the Trump administration abruptly and unlawfully froze funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education just weeks before the school year in many parts of Maryland is set to start.
For decades, Maryland and other states have used funding under these programs to carry out a broad range of programs and services, including educational programs for migrant children and English learners; programs that promote effective classroom instruction, improve school conditions and the use of technology in the classroom; community learning centers that offer students a broad range of opportunities for academic and extracurricular enrichment; and adult education and workforce development efforts.
In Maryland, an estimated $110 million in federal education funding was frozen, with many ongoing summer learning programs left immediately unfunded.
On July 14, Attorney General Brown joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two states in filing a lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that the freeze violates federal funding statutes and regulations authorizing these critical programs and appropriating funds for them, federal statutes governing the federal budgeting process, and the constitutional separation of powers doctrine and the Presentment Clause.
This victory restores hundreds of millions of dollars in essential summer school and afterschool programs, adult education classes, and assistance to students with special learning needs.
The release of these funds ensures that Maryland students, parents, and teachers can continue to make use of the vital educational services supported by federal resources.
