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Tag: Education Secretary Linda McMahon

  • Chicago nonprofit sues Department of Education over alleged ‘unlawful’ grant program cuts

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    A Chicago nonprofit, in conjunction with the American Federation of Teachers, is suing the U.S. Department of Education over funding cuts to a program that has long provided wraparound services to students in high-poverty and rural areas.

    The Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and AFT, in a complaint filed Monday, allege the department broke both federal law and direction from Congress when it abruptly terminated millions of dollars of grant funding through its Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) program earlier this month. Defendants include the Education Department, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Ruth Ryder, its acting assistant secretary.

    For decades, multiyear grants through the FSCS program have helped public elementary and secondary schools provide a range of supportive services — from social, health, nutrition and mental health support to family resources — to students and their families, especially those in vulnerable situations.

    On Dec. 12, the department discontinued 19 community school grants midyear, according to Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and AFT’s complaint. The department had budgeted more than $60 million in FSCS appropriations to fund the grantees, including funding that directly impacted both of the suing parties, their complaint says. The unused funds are set to expire Dec. 31.

    The Department of Education did not immediately return a request for comment Monday night.

    Among the funding cuts are two grants, one serving schools in metropolitan Chicago and the other in rural Illinois, that were stopped after two years of their five-year terms, the complaint states. Another five-year grant providing about $2.8 million per year to serve schools in northern Chicagoland was discontinued after three years.

    Multiyear grants have long been the norm for the FSCS program and are annually continued based on grantee performance, the complaint states. However, the lawsuit argues that the department cut funding without lawful justification and without following legal procedures.

    The complaint cites a discontinuation notice from the department, in which the agency notes it cut funding to programs “that reflect the prior Administration’s priorities and policy preferences and conflict with those of the current Administration.”

    Through FSCS funding, the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council delivers wraparound services to eight schools on the city’s Southwest Side. The largest school it serves is Curie Metro High School in the Archer Heights neighborhood, the third-largest public school in Chicago.

    The department’s decision to slash funding has already disrupted operations, causing the organization to cancel events and prepare for programming cuts down the line, the complaint states.

    “The Department of Education is unlawfully refusing to spend tens of millions of dollars that Congress appropriated to help students and their families get the support they need to succeed,” Lynn Eisenberg with Jacobson Lawyers Group said in a news release. The Chicago-based firm is representing the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and AFT in the case, alongside the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Democracy Forward.

    Since taking office, President Donald Trump has called for the dismantling of the Education Department.

    The Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and AFT, among 10 claims for relief through their complaint, are asking for the department to stop changing funding priorities and obligate congressionally-mandated FSCS funds. They are also seeking, if necessary, an extension to program appropriations for this year beyond Dec. 31.

    “We hope and pray,” Brighton Park Neighborhood Council Executive Director Patrick Brosnan said in a statement, “that these necessary grant funds are restored, and we can continue to provide the needed services so that all students and families in our community can achieve their goals and thrive.”

    tkenny@chicagotribune.com

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    Tess Kenny

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  • Trump’s plan to dismantle Education Department takes first major step

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    WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Department of Education is starting to break apart its major offices and hand their duties to other agencies — an early sign of how U.S. President Donald Trump might follow through on his campaign promise to shut the department down completely.

    Several offices that support the nation’s schools and colleges will be moved to departments such as Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and even the State Department. Officials say federal funding for schools and colleges will continue as Congress intended, but they have not said whether current Education Department employees will keep their jobs.

    Since taking office, Trump has pushed to get rid of the Education Department, saying it is too influenced by liberal ideas. Department leaders have already been preparing to split up their work among other federal agencies. In July, the Supreme Court allowed major layoffs that cut the department’s staff in half.

    Education Secretary Linda McMahon has recently begun publicly arguing that her department should be closed, saying on social media that states and other federal agencies could handle its main tasks — such as giving out grants and answering questions from schools — more effectively.

    But questions remain about whether other agencies are prepared to take on these responsibilities. The Education Department manages billions of dollars in federal aid and helps states interpret complicated education laws. Closing it will test whether the administration can make the transition smoothly or whether students who depend heavily on federal support — including those in rural and low-income schools and students with disabilities — will be harmed.

    Money Will Still Flow

    Although most school funding in the U.S. comes from state and local governments, the Education Department plays a crucial role in sending federal money to schools and colleges. Officials say that money will continue to flow, but often through different agencies. For example:

    • The Department of Labor will now manage major funding programs, including Title I money for schools serving low-income students. Labor already took over adult education programs in June.
    • Health and Human Services will handle grants that help parents who are attending college.
    • The State Department will run foreign-language education programs.
    • The Interior Department will oversee programs for Native American students.

    One of the Education Department’s biggest jobs is managing the US$1.6 trillion federal student loan system. For now, this will not change, though both Trump and McMahon have said another agency might be better suited to run it. Pell Grants and federal student loans will still be issued, and borrowers must continue making payments.

    The FAFSA website, which students use to apply for financial aid, will stay open, and the department will continue to help families with the application. The department will also continue to oversee college accreditation, which allows schools to accept federal aid.

    For now, the department will continue to handle student disability funding, though McMahon has said it could eventually be transferred to Health and Human Services.

    The Education Department also oversees investigations into schools accused of discrimination — including cases involving disability rights, sex discrimination, racial discrimination, and shared ancestry bias. These responsibilities will stay within the department for now, though McMahon has suggested they could be moved to the Department of Justice.

    However, after the mass layoffs in March, the Office for Civil Rights has been operating with far fewer staff. The cuts have raised doubts about whether it can reduce its enormous backlog of student and family complaints. Department data shows it has been resolving fewer civil rights cases even as new complaints continue to rise.

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