LETTER: Harwood has Sen. Sanders to thank for federal funding reimbursement

July 2, 2025

To the Community: 

We would like to sincerely thank Sen. Bernie Sanders and his staff for their help in getting the U.S. Department of Education to reimburse the Harwood Unified Union School District for the approximately $500,000 we were owed by the DoE.  These COVID-era funds, which were authorized by Congress, were spent by the school district on various programs that improved the quality of education we offer our students, yet the new administration refused to reimburse us and school districts all across the country for these expenses, instead employing delay tactics for months. 

Thanks to Sen. Sanders’ months-long work, the DoE has agreed to reimburse U.S. school districts $2.5 billion dollars in authorized payments, including Harwood’s $500,000. We are deeply grateful for Sen. Sanders’ efforts, which end the costly and time-consuming lawsuit filed by many states to get the funds we’re rightfully owed.

Imagine you’re trying to provide good service on a tight budget (like our school district!), say as a house painter. And say a client agrees that you’ve done a fine job painting their house, but says that they won’t pay you because they have to cut their household budget. You know this is illegal, but they’re counting on it being too expensive for you to sue them. That’s exactly what this administration tried to do to school districts across the country. Sen. Sanders called them out on their bad-faith action, and we thank all Vermonters who elected a senator who stands up for our rights. 

Sincerely,

Ashley Woods, chair 

Cindy Senning, vice chair 

Harwood Unified Union School District School Board 

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