{"id":2000,"date":"2026-01-08T11:03:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T16:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=2000"},"modified":"2026-01-11T10:16:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T15:16:18","slug":"the-freezing-of-6-8-billion-in-education-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/08\/the-freezing-of-6-8-billion-in-education-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"The Freezing of $6.8 Billion in Education Funding"},"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 Frozen Funds for Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Schools<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On June 30, 2025, state agen\u00adcies received notice that the Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion would not be \u201coblig\u00adat\u00ading funds\u201d for six pro\u00adgrams nor\u00admal\u00adly fund\u00aded. This mon\u00adey, appro\u00adpri\u00adat\u00aded by Con\u00adgress, was set to be award\u00aded to states for many K\u201112 and adult edu\u00adca\u00adtion pro\u00adgrams. Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump, Lin\u00adda McMa\u00adhon and the Office of Man\u00adage\u00adment of Bud\u00adget decid\u00aded to freeze this fund\u00ading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPur\u00adsuant to fed\u00ader\u00adal statu\u00adto\u00adry and reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adto\u00adry require\u00adments, each year the Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion makes around 25 per\u00adcent of the funds for these pro\u00adgrams avail\u00adable to states on or about July 1 in order to per\u00admit state and local edu\u00adca\u00adtion\u00adal agen\u00adcies to plan their bud\u00adgets for the aca\u00add\u00ade\u00adm\u00adic year ahead,\u201d the law\u00adsuit said \u201cThe States have com\u00adplied with the fund\u00ading con\u00addi\u00adtions set forth under the law and have State plans that the Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion has already approved. The States have received these funds, with\u00adout inci\u00addent, for decades, includ\u00ading as recent\u00adly as last year\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong joined a coali\u00adtion of 25 states in suing the Trump admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion over its deci\u00adsion to freeze $6.8 bil\u00adlion in fund\u00ading for six long\u00adstand\u00ading pro\u00adgrams, includ\u00ading over $53 mil\u00adlion for Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut schools. Tong and the oth\u00ader plain\u00adtiffs asked the court to declare the freeze unlaw\u00adful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCon\u00adgress designed each of the Impact\u00aded Pro\u00adgrams as a for\u00admu\u00adla grant, mean\u00ading Defen\u00addants are \u2018oblig\u00aded to dis\u00adtrib\u00adute fund\u00ading to the Plain\u00adtiff States pur\u00adsuant to a statu\u00adto\u00adry for\u00admu\u00adla\u2019 set by Con\u00adgress so long as the States sat\u00adis\u00adfy the con\u00addi\u00adtions set forth under the law,\u201d the law\u00adsuit said. There is no indi\u00adca\u00adtion any of the states have not sat\u00adis\u00adfied the con\u00addi\u00adtions set for\u00adward in order to receive the fund\u00ading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Accord\u00ading to the press release from July 14, 2025, \u201cWe are talk\u00ading about over $53 mil\u00adlion already built into local school bud\u00adgets in near\u00adly every dis\u00adtrict in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut for com\u00adput\u00aders and tech\u00adnol\u00ado\u00adgy, after\u00adschool enrich\u00adment and field trips, social work\u00aders, Eng\u00adlish lan\u00adguage instruc\u00adtion, teacher train\u00ading, adult edu\u00adca\u00adtion and more.\u201d Both Lin\u00adda McMa\u00adhon and Rus\u00adsell Vought, the direc\u00adtor of the Office of Man\u00adage\u00adment and Bud\u00adget, are Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut natives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

July 14, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

1:25-cv-00329<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

State of Cal\u00adi\u00adfor\u00adnia et al v. McMa\u00adhon et al<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs<\/strong>: 24 States and D.C.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n