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Monday was the deadline for schools to commit to spending the last of the COVID-19 recovery money — more than four years after the pandemic disrupted education. The public should soon have a more complete picture of how schools chose to spend the massive influx in federal cash in response to the pandemic.

As of July 31, Oklahoma had spent nearly 93% of the $2.2 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief dollars awarded to the state, according to COVID-19 relief data from the U.S. Department of Education. The tracker showed only a small portion of the final installment, the American Rescue Plan, remained unspent. The deadline to commit to use those funds was Sept. 30, but they can spend the money through Jan. 28. Money unspent has to be returned to the Education Department.

Schools were given lots of flexibility on how to spend the money. A survey by the School Superintendents Association found expanded instructional time, such as summer and after school programs, and staffing were the top uses. Schools also purchased devices or provided students with internet connectivity, funded tutoring services, and renovated school facilities.

Now, schools are tasked with determining which new initiatives are worth keeping, and how to pay for them. Have a COVID-19 spending story to share? I’d love to hear from you via email.

— Jennifer Palmer

Recommended Reading

• After two legislative proposals to limit cell phones in schools fizzled out last year, an influential member of the House says he believes the issue has enough traction to move forward this year. [The Oklahoman]
• In scathing letter, Oklahoma Attorney General says the state Education Department was neither speedy nor responsible when it was slow to act on funding for school inhalers. [Oklahoma Voice]
• Young people have historically voted in very low proportions — 15 to 20 percentage points below the rest of the population. But rates of young voters are rising. [The Hechinger Report]

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