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More than two dozen Michigan school districts face the loss of nearly $42 million in reimbursement for federal pandemic relief funds after the U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon rescinded a previously set deadline.
Michigan education officials said agencies across the country, including the Michigan Department of Education, received a communication from McMahon late Friday announcing that the deadline for reimbursement requests for Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations and American Rescue Plan funds had been changed from March 28, 2026, to one full year earlier — which meant March 28, 2025.
McMahon wrote that the extended deadline “was not justified” and that states and school districts “have had ample time to liquidate obligations,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by Education Week.
“By failing to meet the clear deadline in the regulation, you ran the risk that the Department would deny your extension request,” McMahon said in the letter, according to Education Week. “Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion.”
Like some other states, Michigan had been approved to submit delayed requests for late reimbursement of their pre-approved projects, state school superintendent Michael F. Rice said.
“Walking back a federal commitment to pandemic relief funds to improve the air quality, healthfulness, and safety of schools coming out of the pandemic is unacceptable,” Rice said Monday in a statement.
“Michigan’s children stand to lose more than $40 million. Twenty-seven districts across the state have preapproved financial obligations that met criteria set by the U.S. Department of Education for extending the districts’ deadlines to request reimbursement of these funds. Instead, Secretary McMahon and the Trump Administration abruptly withdrew approval. These funds were approved to be spent on projects including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, boilers, and windows.”
Rice said the 27 districts entered into contracts with the understanding that their pre-approved projects would be reimbursed by the federal government. A change in presidential administrations should not void previous commitments, Rice said.
Without the reimbursement, Rice said school districts may be forced to reduce instructional expenditures for students, diminish savings or both to honor these contracts for capital improvements.
Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education, said in a statement that the COVID-19 pandemic is over and states and school districts can no longer claim they are spending their emergency pandemic funds on “COVID relief” when there are numerous documented examples of misuse.
“The Biden Administration established an irresponsible precedent by extending the deadline for spending the COVID money far beyond the intended purpose of the funds, and it is past time for the money to be returned to the people’s bank account,” Biedermann said in the statement. “The Department will consider extensions on an individual project-specific basis where it can be demonstrated that funds are being used to directly mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on student learning.”
Under funds from the American Rescue Plan, Flint Community Schools could lose $15.6 million in reimbursement, while the Hamtramck School District faces a reimbursement loss of $7.2 million. Under funds from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations, West Bloomfield School District could lose $734,015 in reimbursement.
The full list of districts that expect reimbursement for American Rescue Plan funds includes Battle Creek Public Schools, $3.38 million; Benton Harbor Area Schools, $4.57 million; Bridgeport-Spaulding Schools, $543,527; Brighton Area Schools, $1.19 million; Chandler Park Academy, $1 million; Lincoln Park School District, $1.39 million; Pontiac School District, $3.2 million; Port Huron Area Schools, $497,205; Reed City Area Schools, $58,469 and Woodhaven-Brownstown Schools, $1.25 million.
Districts seeking reimbursement for COVID relief funds include: Adrian Public Schools; $7,281; Carman-Ainsworth Comm. Schools, $234,818; Grandville Public Schools, $24,545; Greenville Public Schools, $24,022; Insight School of Michigan, $33,363; Marquette Area Public Schools, $9,912; Marysville Public Schools, $367,159; Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, $79,928; Northville Public Schools, $62,650; River Rouge, City School District, $28,772; Royal Oak Schools, $44,398; Van Buren Public Schools, $90,000; Wayland Union Schools, $66,135; and Whiteford Agricultural School District, $98,143.
McMahon has been tasked by President Donald Trump to dismantle the federal education department and return the authority over public education to the states.
Trump ordered McMahon to continue to deliver services, programs and benefits “uninterrupted” and requires that any programs or activities receiving any remaining federal education funds not advance diversity, equity and inclusion or gender ideology. The move follows the layoffs of half of the department’s 4,133-member staff on March 11.
jchambers@detroitnews.com
