{"id":1925,"date":"2026-01-07T20:05:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T01:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=1925"},"modified":"2026-01-07T21:35:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T02:35:07","slug":"k-12-funding-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/07\/k-12-funding-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"K\u201112 Funding Conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Press Release<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong Sues Trump Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion Over Unlaw\u00adful Con\u00addi\u00adtions on Fund\u00ading for Schools<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preceding Event<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On April 3, 2025, the Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion noti\u00adfied states and local\u00adi\u00adties<\/a> that in order to con\u00adtin\u00adue receiv\u00ading fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading, they must com\u00adply with new poli\u00adcies from Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion. These poli\u00adcies are based off of an inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtion of Title VI of the Civ\u00adil Rights Act of 1964 with respect to diver\u00adsi\u00adty, equi\u00adty and inclu\u00adsion efforts. This noti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion request\u00aded sig\u00adna\u00adture acknowl\u00adedg\u00ading hav\u00ading received it, but Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and its Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion opt\u00aded not to sign the let\u00adter, instead respond\u00ading with its own let\u00adter <\/a>stat\u00ading that they \u201care con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00ading to align its prin\u00adci\u00adples and pro\u00adgrams with the require\u00adments and pur\u00adpose of Title VI.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Overview<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As part of a coali\u00adtion of 19 oth\u00ader attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal, Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong \u201cfiled a law\u00adsuit chal\u00adleng\u00ading the U.S. Depart\u00adment of Education\u2019s threat to with\u00adhold fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading from state and local agen\u00adcies that refuse to aban\u00addon law\u00adful pro\u00adgrams and poli\u00adcies that pro\u00admote equal access to edu\u00adca\u00adtion in K\u201112 class\u00adrooms across the nation,\u201d accord\u00ading to the press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCon\u00adnecti\u00adcut, like many oth\u00ader states, refused to cer\u00adti\u00adfy its com\u00adpli\u00adance with these new require\u00adments, explain\u00ading that there is no law\u00adful or prac\u00adti\u00adcal way to do so giv\u00aden the Department\u2019s vague, con\u00adtra\u00addic\u00adto\u00adry, and unsup\u00adport\u00aded inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtion of Title VI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecticut Nexus<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release, \u201cThe U.S. Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion pro\u00advides Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut with near\u00adly $400 mil\u00adlion in con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal\u00adly man\u00addat\u00aded finan\u00adcial sup\u00adport each year for a wide vari\u00adety of needs and ser\u00advices relat\u00aded to chil\u00addren and edu\u00adca\u00adtion. This fund\u00ading includes finan\u00adcial sup\u00adport to ensure that stu\u00addents from low-income fam\u00adi\u00adlies have the same access to high-qual\u00adi\u00adty edu\u00adca\u00adtion as their peers, pro\u00advide spe\u00adcial edu\u00adca\u00adtion ser\u00advices, recruit and train high\u00adly skilled and ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded teach\u00aders, fund pro\u00adgram\u00adming for non-native speak\u00aders to learn Eng\u00adlish, and pro\u00advide sup\u00adport to vul\u00adner\u00ada\u00adble chil\u00addren in fos\u00adter care and with\u00adout hous\u00ading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a con\u00addi\u00adtion of receiv\u00ading these funds, state and local edu\u00adca\u00adtion agen\u00adcies pro\u00advide writ\u00adten assur\u00adances they will com\u00adply with Title VI of the Civ\u00adil Rights Act of 1964, which pro\u00adhibits dis\u00adcrim\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion based on race, col\u00ador or nation\u00adal ori\u00adgin, and Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut has con\u00adsis\u00adtent\u00adly and reg\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly cer\u00adti\u00adfied its com\u00adpli\u00adance with Title VI and its imple\u00adment\u00ading reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date of filing:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

April 23, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case #<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1:25-cv-11116<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case title:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

State of New York et al v. Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion et al<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n