California officials announced Monday that the state is suing the Trump administration because the state has an estimated $939 million in education funding (about $6.8 billion nationwide) and the district is expected to begin accepting on July 1, calling the action “unconstitutional, illegal, illegal and arbitrary.”
The funding has been allocated by Congress, which supports programs to help students who learn English as well as students from immigrant families. The money also improves teacher training, after-school courses and classroom technology. SUPT estimates the impact on Los Angeles Unification (the second largest school system in the United States). Alberto Carvalho has at least $110.2 million.
California and three other Democratic-led states represent 23 states, leading the lawsuit with the Democratic Attorney General, and Democratic Governors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The lawsuit will be filed in federal court in Rhode Island on Monday.
Trump administration officials have not had a chance to review the lawsuit Monday morning, but they said no final decision has been made to release the withholding funds. The government cited so-called examples, some of which are used in a policy-violating manner. One example is “academic guidance separate from new British learners” rather than for attribution, Trump administration officials said.
The Trump administration’s attempt to shut down (usually punishment) efforts to promote racial diversity, a form of discrimination that also centers on the controversy over the LGBTQ+ issue. It also objected to its view of advocacy and support for immigrants living in the United States without legal status.
Although the funds held account for less than 1% of California’s education budget, they all have more cumulative effects. They involve dollars that have been considered in terms of the employees they have hired and the plans for them.
“There is no rhyme or reason, the Trump administration suddenly freezes billions of dollars in education funds weeks before the school year,” General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “Doing so, it threatens the existence of critical programs that exist after school and summer learning opportunities that teach students English and provide educational technology to our classrooms.”
The complaint holds that the Constitution does not give the executive authority to “unilaterally refuse to spend appropriations adopted by both houses of Congress and signed into law.”
The lawsuit is led by attorneys from Massachusetts, Colorado and Rhode Island. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis talked about the issue last week in a webinar, activists and public officials.
“Because many teachers don’t know whether to perform their duties – these streams are provided by these streams – it was the last minute, opaque decision to detain billions of dollars from our schools,” Polis said. He was expected to receive an estimated $80 million on July 1.
“These are the funds that the school has already budgeted – because the funds have already been put into – now only within the 11th hour, days or weeks before people plan to report work, schools have to make impossible decisions here.”
Fund freeze blames “chaos”
The funds held are related to programs, which in some cases have received decades of funding. Each year, the U.S. Department of Education provides about 25% of the funding to states around July 1. This allows school districts to start or continue their efforts in these areas.
“The plaintiff’s state complies with the funding conditions set by the law and has developed a state plan that the Ministry of Education has approved,” a statement from the Bonta office said.
This year, the U.S. Department of Education notified the school district and state education bureaus on June 30 instead of allocating funds, but “obligated funds” for the affected programs.
In its 84-word communication with the states, the government lists the program through its federal designation, which includes Title III-A, which supports students studying English. Title IC also lists the title that aims to help children of migrant workers overcome learning challenges. Both plans withheld all funds.
Other programs with similar restrictions provide training for teachers and administrators; enhance the use of technology in academic achievement and digital literacy, and provide funding in in-class and after-school and summer programs.
“This funding freeze immediately fell into chaos for the upcoming school year,” Bonta’s office said. “Local educational institutions have approved budgets, staffed plans and signed contracts to provide important educational services for these grants.”
Los Angeles Unified Plan uses regional reserves for affected programs, but in the long run, the money has been designated for other purposes. Ultimately, hundreds of positions were jeopardized by an estimated $110.2 million.
Once schools open nationwide in August, you will see the biggest impact, but have direct impact.
The Thomasville Community Resource Center in Georgia ended its summer program three weeks ahead of schedule, affecting more than 300 children in both counties. In Missouri, the Laclade Literacy Commission laid off 16 of 17 staff members after funding for adult education shrank.
According to the Texas Standard News website, Texas is estimated to have an estimated education funding of about $660 million. The freeze particularly affects students learning English, nearly a quarter of Texas students. During the 2024-25 school year, Texas received more than $132 million in funding from the federal government to support these students.
The Ascendant Mountain of Litigation
The Trump administration’s actions and subsequent litigation represent many conflicts related to California’s funding and policies.
Last week, the Trump administration launched a lawsuit suing California for allowing transgender athletes to participate in school sports teams that match their gender identity. The government claims state officials are violating federal civil rights laws by discriminating against women, a legal lawsuit that threatens billions of dollars in federal education funding.
Under California law, state education policies specifically allow for sports participation based on students’ gender identity.
In the lawsuit, the Trump administration claimed that the amount of money that is jeopardized by the danger was shocking, with federal officials citing $44.3 billion in funds that California was allocated for the year, including $3.8 billion that has not yet been sent out – which is immediately endangered.
“Probably, all federal governments are at risk to California public entities,” said a senior U.S. Department of Education official.
Spokesman Madi Biedermann said the department has canceled or modified more than $1 billion in contracts and grants, “based on illegal DEIs or are inconsistent with administrative priorities” and suggests plans that include “diversity, equity and inclusion.”
California has been involved in more than 20 lawsuits against Trump’s administration actions.
“Along with his other attacks on education, President Trump seems prone to risking the academic achievement of a generation to further his own misleading political agenda,” Bonta said. “But like many of his other actions, this funding freeze is blatantly illegal and we believe the court will agree.”
The lawsuit against the Trump administration has led to many restrictions but has not blocked all major Trump actions related to education and other areas.
Trump insists that he wants to return education to the United States and cut waste and ineffective spending. He also tried to exert greater federal control in education on the so-called cultural war issue.
