North Carolina sues over withheld education funding
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North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said Monday he is suing the U.S. Department of Education for withholding more than $165 million for K-12 funding in the state.
- Jackson is joining attorneys general in more than a dozen states who are suing the Trump administration's decision to withhold more than $6 billion in education funding nationwide.
Why it matters: At a press conference, Jackson said the withheld funds will affect mental health services, after-school programs and English-learning programs across the state, and potentially cut 1,000 jobs.
- These cuts affect rural school districts more on a per-pupil basis, Jackson added, specifically noting Graham, Ashe and Polk counties.
Zoom in: The withheld funds include money for programs for migrant children, English-language proficiency and some after-school programs, according to the Learning Policy Institute, which conducts research to improve education policies.
What they're saying: The Department of Education previously referred Axios' questions on the withheld funds to the Office of Management and Budget. An OMB spokesperson said no decisions have been made amid "an ongoing programmatic review of education funding."
- The spokesperson pointed to initial findings that they said "show that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda."
Jackson said in a statement that the Education Department was not following the Constitution.
- "It's unlawful and unconstitutional for the Department of Education to withhold money that Congress has appropriated," he said. "I'm going to court to get this money for our students, our schools, and North Carolina families."