The letter was signed by Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with members of congress from Massachusetts and Governor Maura Healey.
In an interview, Markey said McMahon “just pickpocketed millions of dollars from neighborhood schools.” Some of those funds had already been earmarked by local officials for construction projects, including in New Bedford where school district leaders are depending on about $4 million to build a school-based health center.
Markey, whose office released the letter, noted that during McMahon’s confirmation hearing in February, the former professional wrestling executive repeatedly expressed a commitment to “return education to the states.”
“School districts decided how to spend these funds at the local level … so obviously it’s not about giving local control to the spending of federal money,” he said. “It’s to grab all the federal money they can from school districts across the United States so that then they can put it in a big pile for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. It has nothing to do with children, it has nothing to do with local autonomy.”
The terminated funds, which total about $106 million, are mostly public school relief known as ESSER funds, part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, which granted $1.8 billion to Massachusetts schools.
Healey’s office said the Trump administration had reaffirmed in February that Massachusetts schools had until March 2026 to spend the money.
Just two districts account for the majority of the unspent funds: Springfield, with about $47 million remaining, and New Bedford, with about $15 million. Eighteen other districts were affected, including Fitchburg, Everett, Revere, and Boston.
The funds largely went to high-poverty districts, and those districts also have the bulk of the unspent funds.
In their letter, the lawmakers said the administration’s move to “claw back” these funds are “an insult” to educators and school administrators.
“We urge you to reverse course and allow leaders in the Commonwealth to deliver for students and communities without continued chaos and disruption,” the letter read.
The letter to McMahon on Thursday came as Markey announced new legislation calling for “dignified wages, benefits, and working conditions for paraeducators, classroom assistants, bus drivers, custodial workers, and other essential school staff.”
Markey also filed a bill in February that seeks to protect federal funding for public schools during the length of the Trump administration, according to his office.
“It would be much more powerful if Republican senators stood up and defied Donald Trump and Linda McMahon,” he said. “We hope that courage will finally appear, but thus far we have not seen strong evidence of that occurring.”
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.
