Three States Sue Over Canceled Special Ed Teacher Grants
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by the attorneys general of Rhode Island and Wisconsin, has filed a multistate lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) decision to terminate funding under the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) program, which supports the training of special education personnel and services for children with disabilities.
The lawsuit centers on California's five-year SPDG award, approved in 2022, which was expected to provide $10.5 million to strengthen early intervention, special education, and transition services for children with disabilities and developmental delays. Although California met all program goals and reporting requirements, ED terminated the grant in 2025 after a review of federal programs associated with equity-related initiatives determined that continued funding was no longer in the federal government's best interest. Bonta argues that the cancellation will harm schools, educators, parents, and the more than 880,000 California students eligible for special education services.
The lawsuit alleges that ED acted unlawfully by relying on unpublished policy priorities, misapplying federal grant regulations, reversing its prior support for equity initiatives, and failing to provide a reasoned explanation for terminating the grant, in violation of both the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution.