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Delaware education secretary says USDOE rescinded ARP deadline extensions; state to resubmit $12 million in projects
Summary
Secretary Martin told the State Board that the U.S. Department of Education has rescinded prior approvals that extended ARP spending deadlines, requiring states and districts to resubmit plans; Delaware has roughly $12,000,000 across nine LEAs that must be addressed, and an ACLU injunction temporarily blocks Title VI enforcement until April 24, 2025.
Secretary Martin, the state’s education secretary, told the Delaware State Board of Education on April 10 that the U.S. Department of Education has rescinded approvals that previously extended the liquidation period for American Rescue Plan (ARP) education dollars and is asking states to resubmit outstanding projects.
"There's only 2% of the dollars left in the ARP funds," Martin said, explaining that Delaware has largely expended its ARP allocations but still has about $12,000,000 tied to obligations in nine local education agencies that must be re-certified and resubmitted for reimbursement. "We will resubmit and make sure that these obligations and expenditures ... will have a path forward," Martin said.
Why it matters: the rescission affects projects that districts planned to complete under extended timelines; resubmissions could delay reimbursement and require additional documentation. Martin said Delaware’s fiscal team and district CFOs are already coordinating the resubmissions to preserve approved projects where possible.
Martin also reported a separate federal action: the U.S. Department of Education sent a request that states certify compliance with Title VI civil-rights obligations (the department cited the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard materials as background). The American Civil Liberties Union obtained an injunction that, according to Martin, prevents the Department of Education from taking enforcement action under the new directive until at least April 24, 2025. "We have until April 24 to do that," Martin said, noting Delaware expects to certify compliance but can delay while the injunction is in effect.
Board response and context: board members had no substantive questions after Martin’s update; she noted other state highlights, including teacher finalists and recognition events. Martin framed the state as in a strong fiscal position relative to other states and said the Department of Education will continue to monitor federal guidance and work with districts to protect local projects and expenditures.
What’s next: Secretary Martin said state staff will assist the nine affected LEAs with resubmission, and the board and staff will track outcomes. The board moved from the report to scheduled presentations without further action on this item.
