Dive Brief:
- Attorneys general in three states — California, Rhode Island and Wisconsin — sued the U.S. Department of Education on June 9, saying the agency unlawfully discontinued grants in those states that fund professional development of special education staff and support services for students with disabilities.
- The lawsuit claims the cancellation of the states' grants in September and December 2025 was because they conflicted with the Trump administration's priorities that "include a reflexive hostility to any reference, no matter how fleeting, to diversity, equity, or inclusion."
- The Education Department has canceled several other K-12 grant programs over the past year that it said don't align with Trump administration priorities and executive orders. That includes programs funding mental health supports in schools and professional development for teachers of English learners.
Dive Insight:
Amelia Joy, a spokesperson for the Education Department, said in a Friday email that the Trump administration has made "historic investments to support students with disabilities and will continue to help states expand proven learning methods that produce stronger results."
Last month, the Education Department announced it was providing states and districts an additional $144 million this year for services to infants, toddlers, children and young adults with disabilities.
Joy added, "The Department is dedicated to ensuring every child with a disability receives the special education and related services they are legally entitled. Children with disabilities must receive the services guaranteed under Federal law, delivered by qualified personnel prepared to strengthen educational outcomes."
But the plaintiff states say the grants' discontinuation "are causing substantial injury, including irreparable harm," according to the lawsuit. The states said they have been unable to find replacement funding for the programs.
In California, for example, the loss of the grant funding has led to a reduction of resources for family engagement initiatives. The funding loss is hitting under-resourced school districts the hardest and is resulting in staff layoffs, the lawsuit said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a June 9 statement that in 2022, the state applied for and received a five-year State Personnel Development Grant award from the Education Department and was expecting to receive a total of $10.5 million, or $2.1 million per year.
It, however, only received funding for three budget periods. In September 2025, the state received a notice from the Education Department discontinuing the grant entirely and that the cancellation was "based on vague claims," Bonta said.
California's request to the Education Department to reconsider the grant cancellation was denied, Bonta said.
"This harmful and unlawful action denies vulnerable students the resources they need to learn and succeed," Bonta said. "California is fighting to ensure the continuation of the grant that supports these necessary initiatives for special education.”
The lawsuit said the three states' grants were initially written and approved to highlight equity initiatives, but were then "penalized" under the Trump administration for the same initiatives.
The National Association of State Directors of Special Education, said in an email Friday, that since the State Personnel Development Grant program was created in 2004, the funding has been an "invaluable resource for States in their efforts to improve outcomes for children with disabilities."
NASDSE said it "encourages" the Education Department to fund these grants that "have become an even more critical resource for states" as the nation faces a teacher shortage crisis.
The plaintiff states, which filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, are asking the court to reverse the grants' nondiscontinuation decisions. The lawsuit claims the Education Department violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires that major federal policy changes undergo a formal notice-and-comment period.
