FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts
[email protected]
410-576-7009
BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today secured an agreement requiring the Trump administration to release the full balance of remaining education funding at issue in a multistate lawsuit by no later than October 3, 2025. Last month, Attorney General Brown joined a coalition in suing the Trump administration over its unconstitutional, unlawful, and arbitrary decision to freeze funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education just weeks before the school year was set to start.
In Maryland, approximately $110 million in federal education funding was frozen, jeopardizing key programs for after school and summer learning, teacher preparation, and to support students learning English. Days later, the Trump administration released the first tranche of funding that had previously been withheld. The multistate coalition and the Trump administration today jointly filed to dismiss the case under the terms of an agreement that ensures the remaining funding is released on time, providing Maryland and the multistate coalition with the full relief they had sought in the lawsuit.
“This victory ensures that Maryland's K–12 schools and adult education programs will receive every dollar of the $110 million in federal education funding they were promised — resources they depend on to prepare our students for a brighter tomorrow,” said Attorney General Brown. “This agreement means that the Trump Administration will reverse its reckless and unlawful decision to withhold these critical resources from our teachers, our communities, and our families. Our Office will always stand up for Marylanders’ education and protect them when the federal government’s broken promises threaten their future.”
On June 30, the Trump administration abruptly and unlawfully froze funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. For decades, Maryland and other states have used funding under these programs to carry out a broad range of programs and services, including educational programs for migrant children and English learners; programs that promote effective classroom instruction, improve school conditions, and support the use of technology in the classroom; community learning centers that offer students a broad range of opportunities for academic and extracurricular enrichment; and adult education and workforce development efforts.
On July 14, Attorney General Brown joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two states in filing a lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that the freeze violates federal funding statutes and regulations authorizing these critical programs and appropriating funds for them, federal statutes governing the federal budgeting process, and the constitutional separation of powers doctrine and the Presentment Clause.
The following week, Maryland received notice from ED that beginning the week of July 28, ED would begin releasing previously impounded federal funds for the current federal and education fiscal year. Maryland subsequently received Grant Award Notifications confirming that the entirety of the funds that ED was required to make available to the states on July 1 had been released.
A copy of the motion to dismiss with stipulations is available here.
###