In a news release on Tuesday, the Florida Parent Teacher Association announced they are joining other school districts, teachers unions, and non-profit organizations in a lawsuit to reinstate $396 million allocated funds meant for the Sunshine State that were blocked by the U.S. Department of Education.
FLPTA says the suit was filed on July 21st in Rhode Island by Democracy Forward, Jacobson Lawyers Group, and Deluca, Weizenbaum, Barry, and Revins. It seeks a motion for immediate relief via a preliminary injunction.
The report states that this multi-million dollar loss would impact several districts, including Leon County, who’s set to lose $12.5m. Larger districts like Miami-Dade Public Schools are losing $35m. They say these funds are used for teacher training, English Language learning, and migrant education grants. Florida PTA says the funds are also used to help fund
after-school tutoring programs with organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Nationwide, the following programs will be impacted by the funding freeze:
$376 million for Title I-C migrant education state grants $2.190 billion for Title II-A supporting effective instruction state grants $890 million for Title III-A English language acquisition grants $1.38 billion for Title IV-A student support and academic achievement grants
The FLPTA says without these funds, schools across the Sunshine State will face cuts to academic programs, staffing, and student services, particularly for those in under-resourced communities.
READ THE FULL COMPLAINT BELOW:
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