An in-depth look at the distribution and impact of federal relief funds across educational institutions.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska
The Center for American Progress looked at district spending of federal COVID money — and what happens now that the cash has run out.
When the White House set aside $191 billion to help schools reopen safely after COVID-19 lockdown, they saw an opportunity to reverse decades of underinvestment in K-12 schools as well as a chance to address the emotional needs of students whose lives were disrupted by lockdowns, remote learning and graduation ceremonies over Zoom.
A new report examining how the money authorized under the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund was spent shows that districts used nearly half of it to boost academics, along with students’ social and emotional needs. But they spent just 3.3% specifically on mental health support for staff and students.
The report by Center for American Progress, a center-left think tank, also found that states have left a total of about $25 billion, or 20% of funding, on the table after the October deadline, money they will have to return to the federal government if they haven’t filed for an extension.
Money Well Spent?
Authors Weade James and Paige DiMio examined what states and districts could’ve done differently, and how schools plan to continue to support much-needed programming now that ESSER funds have run out.
“We don’t want to just uplift the good work that states have done.” James, CAP’s senior director of K-12 education policy, tells Word In Black.
“They’ve used almost 80 percent of the funding to really address some of the gaps,” including hiring teachers and tutors, making sure students have access to upgraded technology and addressing learning loss.
Still, “we want to use this as an opportunity to think about what were some of the lessons from ESSER based on the many uses of these funds, and how we can then improve federal-based programs in the future,” she said.
Congress authorized the money at the height of the pandemic, helping school districts pay for sudden, costly expenses, including remote learning after the shutdown and reopening safely as the pandemic subsided. Districts, particularly in majority-Black communities, used some of the money to pay for things that enhanced students’ education: tutoring, extended summer learning, afterschool programs, pay raises for staff, and more.
Keywords: Education funding, Relief funds allocation, School budget transparency, Federal relief for schools, Education accountability
#EducationFunding #ReliefFunds #SchoolBudget
