September 30 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 Monday, but they can spend the money through Jan. 28. Money unspent must 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.
Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.