Pa. attorney general vows to back schools threatened with loss of funding over distance learning

As schools across the region continue to finalize arrangements for a return to class next month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has added his voice to the debate.

In a letter this week to district superintendents, Shapiro threatened to intervene on behalf of schools should the federal government withhold money from those that opt against full-time in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Shapiro’s assurance that he stands behind the schools follows a month in which President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos suggested districts that do not reopen could face a loss of federal funds.

Shapiro, a Democrat, has been a leading voice among the nation’s state attorneys general who have taken on the Trump administration on various issues ranging from family separation at the border to contraceptive coverage, EPA regulations and, most recently, a rule that would have deported international college students had their U.S. universities moved to online classes.

He said he decided to speak out after hearing from school districts concerned about a potential loss of federal support.

“While Secretary DeVos’ threats have been vague, the Trump administration has limited authority to withhold properly appropriated federal funding to schools in the Commonwealth,” Shapiro wrote to the superintendents. “The Constitution makes clear that Congress, not the Executive Branch, has the power to appropriate federal funds and to attach conditions to those funds.”

Shapiro urged school leaders to keep student safety and public health foremost in their priorities as they consider plans to reopen, and promised to take “appropriate action” should the federal government move to withhold funds.

Most local schools that have announced their plans have opted for programs that include in-person instruction and online options for those hesitant to return to school. Some plans call for certain groups of students to attend on alternate days to keep class size down and allow for social distancing.

But many schools still are weighing their options, and some of the nation’s largest school districts, including Los Angeles and San Diego public schools, opted to continue offering online instruction only as the virus rages on the West Coast.