State education officials have lost $22.6 million in federal funding that was going to be used to address pandemic learning loss.

The Kansas State Department of Education announced April 3 that it had been notified about a week earlier about the federal funding changes by the U.S. Department of Education. The move comes amid a broader effort by President Donald Trump's administration to eliminate the Education Department.

The lost funding was the remaining funds from the Education Stabilization Fund, a COVID-era program that included the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER.

"KSDE designated these remaining funds for educator training and programs aimed at accelerating student learning recovery from the pandemic," agency spokesperson Denise Kahler wrote in a news release. "KSDE is now working with its Kansas delegation and the Department's new process to reinstate the previously approved Education Equalization Fund extension for the $22.6 million in remaining funds.

"In the meantime, KSDE has directed its contracted service providers to pause all tasks related to contracts that would incur additional costs as we seek a resolution."

Kansas officials said they had previously been granted an extension, which was supposed to all the funds to be used through March 28, 2026. Now, the liquidation period was ended, effective immediately.

U.S. education secretary Linda McMahon's letter to Kansas and other states said the extension had been "reconsidered" and described it as a "modification to the time period" to use the funds.

The letter blamed states for not using the funding sooner. McMahon told state education chiefs they "have had ample time" to use the money and that by extending the grant periods, "You ran the risk that the Department would deny your extension request." She also told states, "You could not rely on the Department adhering to its original decision."

"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," McMahon wrote.

The letter ended the funding extension as of 4 p.m. Topeka time March 28. Kansas officials said the notification was received by the state at 4:04 p.m. local time.

The federal government did tell states that it will consider new extension requests on "an individual project-specific basis." Such an extension request must explain how the project "is necessary to mitigate the effects of COVID on American students' education."

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd .