A judge temporarily blocked cuts to programs aimed at fixing the nationwide teacher shortage Tuesday, including millions in federal funding slated to benefit Maryland schools.

Last week, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined seven state attorneys general in suing President Donald Trump’s administration over the U.S. Department of Education’s decision in February to cut $600 million in grants that bring more teachers into understaffed classrooms. Collectively, the eight states represented at least $250 million in grant funding, the lawsuit said.

It’s one of many lawsuits nationwide and in Maryland filed against the presidential administration in less than two months.

On Tuesday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a restraining order and temporarily blocked the cuts as the states seek a preliminary injunction, a news release from Brown’s office said. The loss of the grants, used by universities to educate teachers and then deploy them to “hard-to-staff” schools in underserved communities where they could teach challenging subjects like math and special education, would have been felt “immediately” in Maryland classrooms, Brown previously said.

“This ruling ensures Maryland schools will continue receiving the resources they need while we keep fighting for our students in the courtroom,” Brown said Tuesday.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

On the same day, the Department of Education said it would lay off more than 1,300 of its employees, reducing the department to about half its previous staff. Trump has said he wants to completely shutter the department, a move that requires congressional cooperation.

Two Maryland universities lost nearly $10 million in funding when the department cut the teacher pipeline grants last month, according to additional court filings. It was not immediately clear Wednesday if the schools have received restored funding.

The University of Maryland, College Park’s Center for Educational Innovation and Improvement initially received $4.8 million in three-year grant funding it used “to provide comprehensive, research-based training and one-on-one mentoring to 120 principals and assistant principals in high-need schools in Maryland and New Jersey.” When the grant was terminated Feb. 10, the center had $877,000 left to spend with two doctoral students and six additional staff members left in the lurch.

The 70 principals currently in the program suddenly had to cut their studies short, the filing said, and the center “must now secure additional funding on short notice or face cuts to its staff and possible closure.”

Towson University was promised over $5 million over five years with the goal of training “400 new elementary, early childhood, special education, and English Learner teachers” in partnership with community colleges and school systems. The educators would then go to high-needs schools and teach for at least three years.

“Estimating that each classroom has approximately 22 students, the loss of this project impacts over 26,000 Maryland students,” the filing said.

A job offer had been extended to a program director candidate on Feb. 3, who declined, “given the timing of the offer and concerns related to the stability of federal awards,” according to the filing. The university was unable to make another hire before funds were cut Feb. 12.

Reporter Madeleine O’Neill contributed to this story.

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