East St. Louis School District 189 is celebrating this week after it officially received $19.2 million in previously threatened federal pandemic relief funds.
Earlier this year, the federal government sought to clawback $77 million in unspent pandemic funds for schools across Illinois. East St. Louis stood to lose the most funding of any Illinois district, data from the Illinois State Board of Education shows.
The completion of major heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades in all 10 of District 189’s schools hinged on this funding. The clawback left the district potentially liable for thousands in cancellation fees because contracts for the project were approved and signed long after the grants were awarded.
East St. Louis 189 initiated the project to help prevent the spread of illnesses, which is especially important in a community that likely has one of the highest asthma rates in the country, said Executive Director of Communications Sydney Stigge-Kaufman.
“We are grateful for the return of these funds, which will significantly enhance the health and well-being of our schools and students,” Superintendent Arthur R. Culver said in a statement. “Our students and staff deserve the best, and we are grateful that these resources will serve their intended purpose.”
The U.S. Department of Education announced in late March that it was going to reverse a Biden-era extension that would allow select grantees nationwide until spring 2026 to spend earmarked federal education funds, putting over $77 million across Illinois in jeopardy. East St. Louis was the hardest hit district in the state.
After a legal battle spearheaded by Illinois and 16 other states, the Department of Education informed states on June 26 that it will honor the extension granted by the Biden Administration.
In the East St. Louis school district’s statement, Culver credits the $19.2 million restoration to supportive local elected officials, education unions, families, staff and other community members.
“Without their steadfast advocacy, we are confident that these funds would not have been returned to us,” Culver said, later addressing the East St. Louis community specifically, “Your support reminded decision-makers that our students matter – and that their health and learning conditions should never be compromised.”
Why did the Trump administration want to revoke the funds?
In 2020 and 2021, Congress passed relief acts to help schools with costs associated with preparing for the safe return to in-person learning, addressing the learning loss students suffered during school closures and addressing some of the unique needs of homeless children that were exacerbated by the pandemic.
A press release from the Illinois State Board of Education notes that the vast majority of the state’s federal pandemic relief funds have been spent. But, as districts attempted to spend some of their funds, they ran into struggles related to the pandemic, such as supply chain issues, that made it impossible to spend the funds by the original deadline.
That’s why the U.S. Department of Education previously granted East St. Louis and select other districts across Illinois an extension until spring 2026 to spend select unspent, yet obligated, grant funds, the press release explained.
But, on March 28, the Department of Education emailed states a letter that said it was revoking that decision, and that funds had to be spent by 4 p.m. that same day.
“Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion,” the letter, signed by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, reads.
Illinois and 16 other states filed the lawsuit challenging McMahon’s decision on April 10. The court issued two preliminary injunctions against the U.S. Department of Education before it told states it would abide by the extension approved by the Biden Administration.
Editor's note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat. Madison Lammert is a reporter for the BND, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
