Michigan Education To Lose $40M From Federal Reimbursements
- John T. Reurink
- Apr 1
- 1 min read
(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/31/2025) The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to move up the deadline by a year for reimbursement requests for the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.
The previous date set had been March 28, 2026, for reimbursements and State Superintendent Michael Rice said the directive that the deadline was being moved wasn't received by the department until after the new deadline had passed, which was March 28.
"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.
He said there were 27 districts who had qualified for more than $40 million that had been pre-approved by the federal department and had received extensions to the deadlines.
The projects, which were still being worked on by the districts to get their reimbursements, included heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems, boilers and windows.
"Instead Secretary (Linda) McMahon and the Trump Administration abruptly withdrew approval," Rice said.
He said U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Tipton), who chairs the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, was advocating that those federal commitments need to be honored.
"A change in administration should not void previous commitments. Without the promised March 2026 date for federal reimbursement requests, districts may be forced to reduce instructional expenditures for students, diminish savings, or both to honor these contracts," Rice said.
