Schools Transform with COVID Aid but Face Future Funding Challenges

A federal report reveals how U.S. schools effectively used $129 billion in COVID aid to enhance curricula, upgrade facilities, and boost staffing, while facing future budget challenges.

A recent analysis from the U.S. Department of Education sheds light on how school districts have made use of federal pandemic relief funds.

With a staggering $129 billion at their disposal, these funds were initially used to purchase critical resources such as laptops, internet hotspots, dividers for desks, and upgraded air filtration systems.

Utilization of COVID Relief Funds

As federal officials examine these spending trends, it becomes evident that many districts took the opportunity to tackle enduring challenges.

In the 2022-23 school year, roughly one-third of school districts and charter schools—about 5,200 nationwide—used COVID relief funds to develop new curricula and acquire teaching materials.

This approach has emerged as a key tactic in addressing learning losses, with schools investing approximately $11 billion in curriculum enhancements during that time.

In addition to curriculum upgrades, nearly $6 billion—equivalent to 10% of total COVID relief spending—went toward improving and maintaining school facilities.

This allocation far surpassed the funds earmarked for tutoring programs during the same period.

Furthermore, close to half of the pandemic relief funding—around $25 billion—was devoted to salaries and benefits for educators and support staff.

This funding was instrumental in expanding roles within schools, such as hiring more social workers and school nurses, as institutions aimed to strengthen their workforce in response to the pandemic’s challenges.

Challenges and Future Considerations

As many schools approach the finish line for using these COVID aid funds, critical questions loom regarding the longevity of adapted curricula and essential facility repairs.

Some districts are re-evaluating their budgets, putting certain programs at risk or even considering school closures due to declining enrollment.

The report outlines how the nation’s roughly 16,000 school districts and charter operators allocated more than $49 billion from COVID relief over the last school year.

By this point, they had largely utilized the earlier rounds of funding and made significant inroads in using the largest package.

Optimism persists among officials that the requirements set forth in the COVID aid legislation—which mandate states maintain educational funding—will help stabilize school finances better than the aftermath of the Great Recession.

During that period, many states made severe cuts to education budgets and jobs.

Adam Schott, the principal deputy assistant secretary in the Department of Education, noted that schools face tough decisions as they finalize their investments of COVID funds.

However, he stressed that the anticipated financial strains differ from those that unfolded in previous decades.

Impact on Staffing and Academic Performance

The administration had urged school leaders to carefully consider both immediate needs and longer-term educational goals while deploying these relief dollars.

Strengthening school infrastructure, particularly addressing hazardous issues like mold and outdated conditions, was emphasized as essential for fostering academic recovery.

Recent data reveal that numerous states and districts are reconsidering their strategies for teaching foundational subjects like reading and math to better align with proven educational practices.

This shift comes in light of assessments indicating that American students were lagging behind their international peers even before the pandemic struck.

Although recent test scores suggest that some students may have regained their footing to pre-pandemic levels, officials remain concerned that overall academic achievement has not yet met expectations.

With the federal COVID funding nearing its expiration, state officials are urged to step up and ensure continued educational progress—either by reallocating existing federal resources or increasing state budgets for education.

As the report arrives at the dawn of a new presidential term, there remains uncertainty surrounding the future of federal education policies, particularly with prior calls from the incoming administration to lessen the federal education department’s influence.

By the previous school year, in-person learning had largely resumed, yet students still faced challenges with consistent attendance, evident in higher rates of absenteeism.

Interest in summer programs surged, with around 40% of districts allocating COVID funds to such initiatives that reached approximately 4.5 million students.

Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these programs for academic improvement is still under scrutiny.

Only a small fraction of districts—about 10%, or roughly 2,100—implemented additional instructional time with pandemic funding, an approach endorsed by researchers though often difficult for educators to carry out.

States also channeled around $1 billion towards tutoring services, benefiting nearly 3 million students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds or with diverse learning needs.

However, estimates suggest that fewer than 10% of all students received tutoring support, which highlights a significant gap in academic assistance resulting from pandemic-related disruptions.

The report underscores the considerable impact of COVID relief funds on staffing levels across American schools, with employment rates reaching the highest levels in a decade.

By October 2024, schools had created roughly 643,000 new positions, including a 43% increase in social workers and a 23% rise in school nurses.

While there are concerns about the sustainability of these new roles once the funding runs out, Schott defended the investments.

He emphasized that many of these positions not only addressed staffing shortages but also contributed to raising teacher salaries, which was vital during such a tumultuous time in education.

Source: The74million