New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has announced that the U.S. Department of Education has released $158 million in education funding previously withheld from the state. The release comes after Platkin and a coalition of attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to freeze the funds.
“From the beginning, we have made clear that the President’s attempt to freeze $158 million in critical education funding for New Jersey was illegal and deeply damaging to students, families, teachers, and schools. Now, under pressure from our lawsuit, the Administration has relented,” said Attorney General Platkin. “There is simply no excuse for the Trump Administration’s reckless attempt to claw funding away from afterschool care and summer programs, teacher training programs, and programs for English learners and students with special needs—and we are glad that even the Trump Administration has now recognized that it made a grave mistake in freezing this funding. Make no mistake: we will continue fighting for New Jerseyans and protecting them from this Administration’s reckless and illegal cuts to federal education funding.”
The Trump Administration froze federal education funds on June 30 for six established programs managed by the Department of Education. These funds have supported various initiatives in New Jersey over decades, including services for students with special learning needs and English language learners, summer school and afterschool programs, teacher training efforts, community learning centers offering academic enrichment opportunities, as well as adult education and workforce development.
Following the freeze, many ongoing summer learning initiatives in New Jersey lost immediate access to funding.
On July 14, Platkin joined 23 other attorneys general and two states in filing legal action seeking a preliminary injunction against the freeze. The lawsuit argued that withholding these funds violated federal statutes governing program funding as well as regulations set by Congress. It also cited breaches of administrative law procedures and constitutional principles regarding separation of powers.
Attorney General Platkin has previously challenged other actions by the Trump Administration related to education policy through lawsuits contesting changes to K-12 teacher preparation program funding, restructuring within the Education Department, and new conditions placed on K-12 federal aid. He noted that his office had secured additional relief for New Jersey schools beyond this week’s released funds, including tens of millions of dollars intended to help address COVID-19’s long-term impact on education.
