WORCESTER — Worcester Public Schools will lose $1.45 million in remaining federal grant funds following the Trump Administration’s termination of $106 million in education aid earmarked for Massachusetts.
The cuts affect several school districts across the state and eliminate funds originally allocated through the Education Stabilization Fund, which included Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, grants under the American Rescue Plan Act.
The grants were intended to support post-pandemic recovery efforts in public schools, including professional development for educators, nutrition programs, learning loss interventions, and infrastructure upgrades like HVAC systems and outdoor learning spaces.
While many impacted districts have publicly addressed the sudden loss of funding, Worcester Public Schools has remained mostly silent. Chief Communications Officer Dan O’Brien said district leaders were awaiting more information and had no immediate comment. He confirmed, however, that most of the ESSER funds allocated to Worcester had already been spent and that the $1.45 million in question represented supplemental funding.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s office said in a press release that the Department of Education informed states on Friday, March 28, of the sudden end of the program despite affirmation from Washington in February that schools would have until March of 2026 to expend the remaining funds. The sudden change was heavily criticized by Governor Healey who called the move “illegal” and damaging.
“At a time when students are still struggling to recover from the pandemic,” Healey said. “We need to be doing everything we can to address learning loss and the youth mental health crisis. Instead, President Trump suddenly ripped away more than $100 million in funding that is supposed to go right to Massachusetts students and schools.
“This action is jeopardizing mental health care and math tutoring for our students, as well as projects that are already underway to enhance school security and ensure that the air in our school buildings is clean. Massachusetts has been making important progress helping students recover from the pandemic, but President Trump is trying to take us backwards.”
Other districts affected by the cuts include Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical School, Boston, Chelsea, Dracut, Everett, Fairhaven, Fitchburg, the Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical School, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Ludlow, Mashpee, New Bedford, Revere, Springfield, Stoughton and West Springfield as well as non-public schools Mater Dolorosa Catholic School in Holyoke and Saint Stanislaus School in Chicopee.
Nationally, Healey’s office estimates the cuts will terminate over $2 billion across 41 states.
Jason Bleau can be reached at bleau.jason@yahoo.com
