Judge Restores $1B COVID School Aid Nationwide

A federal judge in New York has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from rescinding over $1 billion in pandemic-era relief funds for K-12 schools, which were originally made available under the Biden administration through the American Rescue Plan Act until March 2026. The lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and joined by attorneys general from at least 15 other states and the District of Columbia, claimed that revoking the funds would harm vital educational programs for vulnerable and low-income students. The preliminary order immediately restores states’ access to the relief funds and bars the Department of Education from altering previously approved extensions without proper notice. Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the move by citing the end of the pandemic and shifting departmental priorities, but the judge found in favor of the states. The funds are intended for tutoring, facility upgrades, and support for homeless and disadvantaged students. State officials have called the ruling a major victory for pandemic recovery in education.