By Adam Swift
Chelsea schools are working with the state to help minimize the effect of a recent decision by the U.S. Department of Education that impacts funding previously allocated to school districts nationwide under the federal Education Stabilization Fund.
“Specifically, the U.S. Department of Education has decided to terminate the extension of COVID-related grant funding, which had been approved to support critical building improvements across 20 school districts,” stated Superintendent of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta. “For Chelsea Public Schools, this funding was designated to support the replacement of our HVAC systems at Chelsea High School. The original funding allocation for this project was $1,454,350, which we have been actively using to upgrade and improve air quality through HVAC installations.”
Abeyta noted that while the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Education is concerning, she wanted to assure the community that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has been in direct contact with superintendents affected by the cuts.
“They are working closely with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office to monitor the situation and ensure that districts are supported during this transition,” she stated. “The state of Massachusetts will continue to operate under its original funding structure on a reimbursement basis for these projects. This means that, for now, Chelsea Public Schools will not experience an immediate disruption to the HVAC replacement project at Chelsea High School, and we will continue to move forward as planned.”
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education notified all states about its decision to end the federal Education Stabilization Fund liquidation period effective.
Nationally, it is estimated that this decision terminates over $2 billion across 41 states, according to Governor Maura Healey’s office, adding that In February 2025, the Trump Administration had reaffirmed that Massachusetts had until March 2026 to spend the funds.
“At a time when students are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, we need to be doing everything we can to address learning loss and the youth mental health crisis,” said Healey. “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.”
State Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler noted that the country is not back yet from the pandemic and that many students in Massachusetts and across the country are still experiencing pandemic-related learning loss and mental health challenges.
“The federal government had repeatedly reaffirmed these extensions in acknowledgement of continued supply chain issues, labor shortages and to ensure continuity in learning acceleration efforts,” Tutwiler said. “Projects funded by these grants are underway. The Trump Administration’s outrageous and cruel decision, in which we received notice of a new arbitrary deadline, will have real harm to our students and their learning and wellbeing.”