Dive Transient:
- A majority of college superintendents surveyed mentioned that after federal COVID-19 emergency funds run out in September 2024, their districts might want to minimize or cut back summer time programming and finish personnel contracts with specialised workers, equivalent to counselors, social staff and studying academics.
- The survey, carried out by AASA, The College Superintendent Affiliation, discovered district leaders proceed to report utilizing American Rescue Plan funding for long-term system modifications that prioritize increasing whole-child helps, together with social, emotional, psychological and bodily well being and improvement of their college students.
- After utilizing the final two years planning for one of the best use of $189.5 billion in federal emergency funding to answer pre-Ok-12 pandemic-related setbacks, district leaders at the moment are specializing in the right way to maintain the COVID-19 investments or the right way to part out sure packages.
Dive Perception:
Though the ARP funds, which complete $121.9 billion, have been meant to be a brief enhance to highschool coffers in response to pandemic setbacks, district leaders mentioned extra time is required to supply extra assist to college students.
“Superintendents know finest the right way to maximize the tutorial impression of the funding,” mentioned Daniel Domenech, AASA government director. “It prices nothing for Congress to offer districts extra time to increase the extra sources they’ve in place — studying specialists, tutoring packages, enrichment choices and social-emotional helps — for college kids for a further two years.”
AASA desires Congress to maneuver the ARP obligation deadline from Sept. 30, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2026. AASA, together with a number of different nationwide organizations and particular person district leaders, additionally need the U.S. Division of Schooling to make clear the method for requesting an 18-month extension for the spending of ARP funds past the Sept. 30, 2024, obligation deadline.
Within the AASA survey, 48% of superintendents mentioned the September 2024 deadline presents an impediment to renovating faculty services and bettering air flow. Provide chain points, employee shortages and inflation have all created challenges for infrastructure tasks, faculty leaders have mentioned.
AASA mentioned a whole lot of superintendents responded to the July survey, which the group known as a continuation of its effort to doc how district leaders are utilizing ARP funds.
Along with specializing in complete little one helps, superintendents mentioned ARP funding can be being prioritized for packages that interact highschool college students who’ve fallen off-track to graduate and who want extra assist to efficiently transition to varsity and profession.
Different survey findings embody:
- 57% of superintendents reported they may lower or finish summer time studying and enrichment choices presently being provided to college students by September 2024.
- 53% mentioned they should finish contracts with specialist workers, equivalent to counselors, social staff and studying specialists.
- 44% indicated they should cease compensating workers for working extra hours for prolonged faculty 12 months or day programming.
- 77% mentioned it took their districts between lower than a month to 3 months to obtain ARP reimbursements from state training companies after submitting their request.
