Arizona is one of 24 states that sued the federal government Monday over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, English language instruction, teacher training, summer programs and more.
Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the grant money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isn’t released soon, according to the suit.
In many Arizona schools, the school year begins in about three weeks. The federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Tucson Unified School District, the largest in Southern Arizona with about 40,000 students in 88 schools, is making contingency plans, especially for its after-school program which uses about $3 million in grant funding, TUSD Chief Financial Officer Ricky Hernández told Arizona Luminaria.
“We are looking at moving people around and looking at programming,” Hernandez said. “After-school is definitely the biggest thing for us,” adding about $6 million a year in federal grant money is on pause for the district in total.
Arizona is owed $132 million, Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement Monday. Last week, the Learning Policy Institute said Arizona school districts stand to lose nearly $120 million.
“By freezing $132 million in funds owed to Arizona’s students, President Trump and his administration are increasing costs for Arizona’s schools, cities, and families,” Mayes said in the statement. “It’s unlawful for President Trump to hold up this education funding and wreak havoc on Arizona’s students and families—and it’s having an immediate and devastating impact.”
The six grant programs under review include one known as 21st Century Community Learning Centers. It’s the primary federal funding source for after-school and summer learning programs and supports more than 10,000 local programs nationwide, according to the Afterschool Alliance.
“We are talking about partnerships and trying to figure out other options for families,” Hernández said. “For parents in particular, it’s not just about academic achievement, it’s somewhere for kids to be safely after school.”
Most of those programs start mid-to-late August, Hernández said. The initial list of affected TUSD program workers is about 30 people and the district is looking at what alternative funding exists to minimize the impact of the freeze, he said.
In March, the federal funds were approved. On July 1, the grants were frozen while the feds analyze how they are used. These grants are primarily for vulnerable students and families who need support.
Last week, the Office of Management and Budget said an initial grant review showed schools used some of the money to support immigrants in the country illegally or promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. The administration said it hadn’t made any final decisions about whether to withhold or release individual grants.
In other federal education news Monday, more than 1,300 employees at the U.S. Department of Education will be laid off. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to reverse an order from a U.S. District judge in Boston, who had issued a preliminary injunction reversing the layoffs and calling into question the broader plan.
The high court action lets the administration resume work on winding down the Education Department, one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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