Three Alaska school districts expressed support for a lawsuit against the Department of Education over the Trump administration's freezing of crucial school funds.
The districts that are backing the lawsuit are the Anchorage School District, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, and Kuspuk School District. Combined, these three districts encompass a large section of Western Alaska.
Alaska School Districts Join Lawsuit Against Trump Administration
The plaintiffs who are listed in the lawsuit are suing President Donald Trump's administration over the decision to withhold $6 billion in federal education funds. It was originally filed in the Rhode Island U.S. District Court.
In total, there are 14 school districts, teacher federations, and education associations that have so far joined the lawsuit and will be represented by the non-profit Democracy Forward. Anchorage School District Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt said in a statement that the government's freeze of funding created "deep instability."
He added that the money that is being withheld was designed to provide targeted support for English learners and for families whose livelihoods significantly depend on agricultural work, logging, or fishing, according to the Alaska News Source.
Read more: Trump Administration Holds $7 Billion in School Funding Despite Congress Approval, Sparking Outrage
Bryantt said that districts like theirs are not able to properly plan or meet their obligations if longstanding federal commitments are suddenly, without warning, withheld. He said they are now taking legal action to protect their students, honor the promises made to their communities, and restore stability in school systems.
Two of the districts that joined the lawsuit, Anchorage and Fairbanks, are the first and second largest school districts in the state, respectively. On the other hand, Kuspuk School District, which is one of the smallest, is made up of roughly 320 students and 130 teachers in nine different schools.
Freezing of Crucial Federal Funds
The lawsuit comes as the Trump administration's freezing of the school funds has been in place since the start of the month. It has affected several federal education funding streams, including funds that were meant for the education of migratory children, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
These include children of fishermen, children in foster care, or those who are experiencing homelessness. So far, the Anchorage School District has lost access to about $12 million, while the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is unable to use roughly $2.5 million in funding.
The lawsuit claims that the Trump administration's decision to freeze the funds violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the Impoundment Control Act, and the constitutional separation of powers, as per the K-12 Drive.
