24 states sue Trump admin to unfreeze more than $6 billion in education grants

A coalition of 24 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration on Monday over the administration’s decision to freeze more than $6 billion in federal education grants for K-12 schools and adult education. The move comes two weeks after the Trump administration first notified states that it was withholding the previously approved funds.

“With no rhyme or reason, the Trump Administration abruptly froze billions of dollars in education funding just weeks before the start of the school year,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a press conference Monday.

The U.S. Education Department, one of the defendants named in the lawsuit, has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Other states that joined the lawsuit include New York, Colorado, Massachusetts, Arizona, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Shortly after the funding freeze was initially announced, two Democratic lawmakers from Arizona, Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Greg Stanton, urged the administration to release the funds as soon as possible, noting their state’s early start to the school year – in one district classes begin on July 16.

“This freeze is putting Arizona school districts in an impossible financial situation, as school districts have already adopted their annual budgets and signed contracts for the upcoming school year,” the lawmakers wrote.

In addition, more than a hundred House Democrats wrote to the administration, asking that the funds be released immediately.

Some Republican lawmakers have also pushed back on the freeze.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Education Week, “I strongly oppose the administration’s decision to pause the delivery of education formula grant funding to states and local school districts across the country … The administration should release these funds without any further delay.”

The frozen funds include grants that pay for a wide range of programs for schools, including migrant education, before- and after- school programs and services for English language learners.

The largest pot of grant money consists of roughly $2.2 billion for professional development for educators.Tara Thomas, government affairs manager at The School Superintendents Association (AASA), told NPR districts often use these funds to help pay for continued teacher training.

“At the end of the day, it’s really just funding that makes teachers better at their jobs,” she said.

It’s not the first time the Trump administration has singled-out these programs: The administration’s proposed FY 2026 budget eliminated all the grants that are now frozen.

Earlier this spring, the Trump administration also said it would stop paying out $1 billion in grant funding for school mental health programs and training. Sixteen states, including New York and Wisconsin, have sued the Education Department over the decision.