Governor Josh Shapiro said on Thursday that Pennsylvania joined 15 states, posing Trump’s administration for federal financing suddenly dismissed from schools.
The announcement took place almost two weeks after the US Education Department informed countries that previously received extension of spending money from Covid’s facilitate that the federal government would not return them. According to the Shapiro administration, schools in Pennsylvania are guilty of $ 185 million – including money designated for students’ mental health resources, Internet access and HVAC installation.
Court disputes meant the third time when Shapiro sued Trump’s administration since the office was taken in January, suggesting that court disputes would continue to play a key role in his opposition to republican administration.
Although Shapiro seemed to be on the offensive, he was still about the canceled financing until Thursday to join the claim. Meanwhile, other democratic governors, including the New Jersey Phil Murphy governor, has been alarm over the lost Covid assistance funds for over a week, showing that as a governor of the status of a swing with national political ambitions, Shapiro takes a more restrained approach.
“The Congress and the Federal Government have committed to our students, and school districts in Pennsylvania began construction, so that schools were safer, provide supplies to students and invested to create more opportunities for our children based on this commitment,” Shapiro said in a statement declaring the trial. “Now Trump’s administration is trying to withdraw from obligations to our children and leave Pennsylvania taxpayers holding the bag.”
»Read more: Pa. He tells schools that they do not have to make changes among the threats of Trump’s financing
While the federal money money was originally available to the states until September 2024-followed by combating the constant effects of Covid-19-state Pandemic Educational Agencies were able to ask for more time to spend them. At the beginning of this year, federal officials extended Pennsylvania for spending money until March 2026.
“Chaos” over the lost financing of aid
On March 28, US education secretary Linda McMahon informed the state at 17:03 that from 17:00 the Department had repealed these extensions.
According to the “liberation of chaos” for state educational agencies and school districts Claim Filed on Thursday at the Federal Court in New York by officials from Pennsylvania and 15 other states, as well as in the Colombia district. Murphy said that the states estimate that they are still guilty of over $ 1 billion in federal funds, including $ 85 million because of New Jersey.
For example, Reading School District in Pennsylvania received over $ 20 million to install recent HVAC systems in three high schools and making repairs in seven schools, according to Shapiro administration. The district, which is found during these projects, “is based on the money that they owe them by the federal government,” said the administration.
In total, 116 school districts in Pennsylvania, charter schools, indirect units as well as career centers and technical centers are affected by the decision of the federal government, as well as the Pennsylvania Education Department, according to administration.
In Philadelphia and its districts, 37 districts, schools and intermediate units may lose funds. For example, the Philadelphia school district has over $ 6 million.
In a letter to school administrators on Thursday, acting as secretary of education in Pennsylvania, Carrie Rowe, said that her department would contact schools affected to facilitate determine their eligibility for the possible extension of the project specific to the project from the education department.
However, “taking into account the uncertainty caused by the reversal of USDE”, the school “should consider the immediate stopping or completion of work or contracts” related to the financing of pandemic assistance, which have not yet been returned, said Rowe.
While McMahon’s letter said that the subsidies must be repealed because Pandemia was over, the claim claims that it was not legal. The United States received money spending after the end of the pandemic was announced on May 11, 2023.
And McMahon’s decision “assumes, without legal or factual support, that all funds in the provisions related to Covid-19 were intended only for use during the declared crisis public health, and not ongoing effects, says the claim.
Shapiro’s last legal fight with Trump
Shapiro, who often sued the federal government during the first term of Trump, when he was a general prosecutor, joined two multi -stage legal battles as a governor against Trump, including Thursday’s lawsuit. He also submitted one trial alone compared to $ 2.1 billion in federal funds approved by the Congressive Funds for environmental and energy projects, which are still in progress in the Federal Court.
Shapiro promised both cooperation with Trump’s administration when he is in the best interest for Pennsylvania, and also question him if needed. Recently, however, Shapiro questions the president’s administration more than cooperation with him; Was Vocals against Trump’s tariffsHe asked the US Department of Agriculture to consider his cuts again in the benefits program for farmers and students, and Trump’s restrictions criticized for Trump threats For the most common students of the state in the field of school diversity, equality and inclusion practices.
While most of the states involved in the Thursday lawsuit, including New Jersey, are represented by their general prosecutors, the Republican General Prosecutor Pennsylvania Dave Sunday said earlier that it is unlikely that he will ever sue the administration of Trump. So Shapiro decided to go over him and sue, as state law allows, as Governor of Pennsylvania.
It was impossible to contact the Sunday spokesman immediately. Sunday largely says that he wants to focus on the basic mission of the public security of the prosecutor general, and not at everyday events in Washington. Republican lawyer general usually does not do it Join the court trials brought by their democratic counterparts and vice versa.
