The Miami-Dade County Council of PTA/PTSA and P.S. 305 say they are backing a federal lawsuit demanding the immediate release of about $6 billion in funding frozen by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Trump administration froze funding July 1 as part of a review to ensure education grants align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.
About $35 million is due to Miami-Dade, one of the nation’s largest school districts, and $396 million due to all Florida schools, according to the two groups.
“As the largest school district in Florida and the third largest in the nation, Miami-Dade cannot afford to absorb the consequences of this funding freeze without immediate harm to our classrooms,” said President Osmani Gonzalez of Miami-Dade County Council of PTA/PTSA, in a statement on Wednesday.
“We support Florida PTA’s leadership and P.S. 305 in joining this lawsuit because our students deserve stability and the resources they’ve already been promised," he said.
“These funds were never optional — every dollar was already committed by Congress for critical programs to support students and families,” said Mina Hosseini, Executive Director at P.S. 305. “Miami-Dade County Public Schools has long been underfunded, and our communities are already carrying the weight of that fact.”
“By joining this legal action, we are standing up to protect our public schools in pursuit of the future our children deserve,” Hosseini said.
More than 20 states filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the $6 billion funding freeze, including money for English language instruction, teacher development and adult literacy. They argue it’s unconstitutional.
The Florida PTA and the Florida Education Association, the statewide union representing teachers and school staff, are among the plaintiffs.
Read the lawsuit here.
