In an ongoing campaign designed to compel Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to release nearly $7 billion in federal K-12 education funding to states and school districts, this week, COPAA joined with more than 600 nonpartisan local, state, and national organizations representing communities, school districts, educators, families and learners across every state and D.C. to request Secretary McMahon and the Director of the White Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to immediately release the funds. Summarizing the impact across educational spheres, the advocacy letter states, “Withholding these funds sabotages the education and wellbeing of learners in all districts and all states in our country, regardless of their political affiliation or representation….We request the funds be immediately released.” Also, last week, the Rhode Island Attorney General led 24 states and the District of Columbia to sue the U.S. Department of Education over the abrupt pause, contending that the funding freeze violates the Constitution and federal laws. In an unprecedented move, Senate Republicans also joined when 10 Senators wrote and urged the Administration to release the K-12 funds, noting, ”The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to [the President’s] goal of returning K-12 education to the states…Withholding this funding denies states and communities the opportunity to pursue localized initiatives to support students and their families.” As COPAA has previously reported, the K-12 funds being withheld are meant to support districts and schools’ after-school/summer school programs, English instruction for nonnative speakers, teacher training/professional learning, arts, science/technology/mathematics (STEM) programs, and state-led adult literacy programs. As of July 21, OMB announced that it will release the $1.3 billion in funding meant for after-school and summer programming with “guardrails” to ensure funds comply with current executive orders.