Washington, D.C. – A coalition of educators, school districts, and nonprofit groups have united to challenge the unlawful discontinuation of $132 million in grants issued through the Full Service Community Schools (FSCS) program, which helps disadvantaged students access vital basic services and promotes family and community engagement in schools.
The amended challenge, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. today, is being brought by the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC), American Federation Of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), Paterson Public Schools, Paterson Education Foundation, Sodus Central School District, and the Prichard Committee For Academic Excellence, Inc. It builds on a previous challenge, filed on December 29, 2025 by AFT and BPNC, to the grant cancellations. The coalition is represented by Democracy Forward and Jacobson Lawyers Group PLLC in the matter.
On December 12, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education made the abrupt and unlawful decision to discontinue 19 different multi-year FSCS grants that are funding programs still in progress. The decision broke from longstanding department policy that long-term grants be issued based on performance – FCSC programs have proven incredibly effective – and did not include adequate explanation for the decision – a clear violation of the Administrative Procedures Act.
In addition to violating the Administrative Procedures Act, the amended complaint alleges that the discontinuations also violated the First Amendment rights of some grantees. On December 29, 2025, the department began issuing denials of grantees’ appeals, rejecting them all before reversing course for one Idaho grantee. Overall, the reasons provided for discontinuing these 18 grants were not supported by written priorities from the department or consideration of how the grantees were actually using their FSCS funds. Even more concerning, the reasons given for non-continuation of the 18 grants were based on the viewpoints of the grantees, their partners and their beneficiaries, infringing on their First Amendment rights.
“Community schools directly tackle the issues Linda McMahon claims to care about: they increase academic achievement and attendance, boost graduation rates and cut student achievement gaps,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “We already know that these grants were illegally terminated on a whim—now, in this amended filing, the facts show they were specifically targeted because the secretary disagrees with the viewpoints of the grantees, a textbook violation of the First Amendment. For a secretary who is crisscrossing the country talking about civics, why not simply follow the law and allocate the community school grants to the kids who have been counting on them?”
“Parents, educators, and community leaders know that illegally cutting grants to community schools will hurt our students, which is why we will do everything in our power to protect our students and their futures. As educators, we see firsthand that full-service community schools – which bring academic coursework, health and social services, and community engagement under one roof – are one of the most effective ways to address the gaps students face, improve learning, and build stronger communities. America’s educators and parents will not be silent as Donald Trump and Linda McMahon try to steal opportunities from our students,” said National Education Association President Becky Pringle.
“The non-continuation of the Full-Service Community Schools grants has immediate consequences for our students and families. These funds support essential services, including health care, mental health counseling, food access, and family engagement, which remove barriers to learning and help improve attendance and academic performance. The abrupt loss of this funding disrupts proven supports that our community relies on every day. We remain committed to advocating for the resources our students need to thrive,” said Dr. Laurie W. Newell, Superintendent of Paterson Public Schools.
“Pulling this five-year community schools grant after just two years has shaken the foundation our students and families were beginning to stand on. These funds weren’t abstract line items, they meant counseling for a child in crisis, afterschool programs that keep students safe, and trusted adults helping families navigate real challenges. When a promise like this is broken midstream, it’s not a policy debate for us. It’s children losing support they were counting on. Our students deserve stability, not uncertainty,” said Rosie Grant, Executive Director, Paterson Education Fund.
“Behind every data point in this case is a child who made it to school because they weren’t hungry, a parent who got help they couldn’t find anywhere else, and a community that grew stronger because its schools became true resource hubs. Discontinuing these grants wasn’t a policy decision — it was a harm inflicted on real people. We are proud to join this challenge and will not stop advocating for the students and families who are counting on us,” said Nelson Kise, Superintendent Sodus Central School District.
“The Trump-Vance administration is causing real harm by unlawfully discontinuing these grants, threatening programs that families rely on for basic services and undermining a lifeline for communities,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Support for students should not pause with the ringing of the last bell, especially in high-poverty communities. Democracy Forward is honored to work with teachers, schools, and communities to combat this unlawful act and to protect funding for effective programs that support students.”
“The Department of Education’s abrupt and unlawful, unconstitutional non-continuation decisions have destabilized critical supports for students and families across the country,” said Lynn Eisenberg of Jacobson Lawyers Group PLLC. “We are proud to stand with these organizations to ensure that the Department follows the law and honors its commitments to the communities these grants are intended to serve.”
FSCS was born out of a Congressional mandate to boost the chances for disadvantaged students to succeed in school by directly addressing in-school and out-of-school barriers to learning. For students, in addition to expanded and enriched learning time, FSCS grants were intended to support a variety of social and health services so that lack of access to basic medical and dental care, clean and suitable clothing, food, and stable housing are not impediments to school attendance and attention in the classroom. The FSCS program is additionally intended to promote family and community engagement in schools, strengthen parenting skills, and reduce household obstacles to student success caused by job insecurity and language and literacy barriers.
To achieve these goals, the FSCS program supports public elementary or secondary schools in providing coordinated, accessible wraparound services for children and families, particularly for children attending high-poverty schools, including in rural areas. Under the program, the department must award grants to provide comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, students’ family members, and community members that result in improved educational outcomes for children.
FSCS programs have made a tremendous difference to the students, families, and schools they serve. For example:
- At Joseph A. Taub School in Paterson, NJ, participants in programs funded by FCSC grants were 16 percentage points less likely to be chronically absent, missed six fewer days of school, and earned 18% higher math and ELA grades than non‑participants.
- In Wayne County, NY, food pantries provided monthly support to thousands of children and adults, chronic absenteeism decreased by over seven percentage points across the County, and 85% of grantee schools experienced a decrease in the proportion of students who reported feeling unsafe in school.
- In Kentucky, nearly all participating schools showed lower levels of chronic absenteeism, on average, dropping by 8.24 percentage points year-over-year, and made major gains in academic achievement, including average gains of 10.79 percentage points in math and 9.24 percent points in reading compared to prior years.
The case is Brighton Park Neighborhood Council et. al v. Department of Education et. al. and the legal team at Democracy Forward working on the case includes Kali Schellenberger, Victoria Nugent, Louis Katz, Laura Aguilar, Victoria Nugent, and Robin Thurston.
The amended complaint filed today can be found here.
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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
