The Trump administration has been sued by officials in 16 states and the District of Columbia over promised pandemic relief aid for schools.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan by 16 Democratic attorneys general and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. New York’s District Attorney Letitia James is leading the suit.
The suit claims the administration’s refusal to release the promised aid violates federal law, as a prior decision allowed states to access the funds through March of 2026.
A group of Democratic state attorneys general on April 10 sued the Trump administration to stop it from cutting off more than $1.1 billion in funding meant to help address the long-term effect of the COVID pandemic on elementary and high school students https://t.co/4ZyUBjTxFr pic.twitter.com/lrdYIF8TSp
— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) April 13, 2025
The Education Department notified states last month that deadline extensions granted by the Biden administration to spend the remaining COVID relief aid approved by Congress would not be honored.
The money was originally designated to help schools and students recover from the economic impact of Covid-19.
Governor Shapiro said in a statement, “These dollars were appropriated by Congress and promised to our schools for things like HVAC upgrades, classroom supplies, and mental and academic supports. Every Pennsylvania student deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed – that’s why I’m headed to court to get our schools the dollars they are owed.”
The attorneys general of Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and the District of Columbia are all participating in the suit.
In Pennsylvania, schools are reportedly owed a total of $185 million in funding. A total of 116 Pennsylvania school districts are reportedly affected by the loss of this designated federal funding, as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties claim to be the most severely impacted by the decision.
The lawsuit is the third time Governor Shapiro has sued the Trump administration since January.
