America’s K-12 schools received a significant boost in funding from federal pandemic aid packages over the last three school years. However, this funding is set to end in September as the new school year begins, leaving many districts with tough decisions about what to cut. Some schools are considering freezing hiring, scaling back tutoring programs, or reducing athletic and arts programs. The combination of budget shortfalls and declining enrollment could even lead to school closures.
The federal pandemic aid, totaling around $190 billion, came from three spending packages passed by Congress between March 2020 and March 2021. This aid was six times the amount K-12 schools typically receive from the federal government in a normal year. Different districts received varying amounts of aid, with more money going to districts with higher populations of low-income families. While the aid made up a significant portion of budgets for lower-income districts, wealthier districts may not have received any federal pandemic aid.
School districts were aware that the pandemic funding would come to an end and have been required to use or allocate the money by the end of September. Families in districts that planned financially may not see a significant impact on the budget this year, but schools are still facing cuts. There were few restrictions on how the federal money could be used, leading to a wide variety of spending categories from new staff to building improvements. Congress mandated that 20% of the last round of funding be used to address learning loss, such as tutoring programs or extended school days.
Despite the aid, there are concerns about the impact of budget cuts on students. Many districts used the funding to hire additional staff to help students catch up academically, but these positions are now at risk due to the end of pandemic aid. Studies have shown that academic growth during the last school year fell short of pre-pandemic trends in nearly all grades, indicating that students may still be struggling to catch up. With the potential for staff cuts and program reductions, the consequences for students could be significant.
The effects of the end of pandemic aid are expected to be felt more acutely in lower-income districts, where the funding made up a larger portion of the budget. Some schools may need to make difficult decisions regarding staffing, programs, and resources to address the budget shortfalls. While the aid provided much-needed support over the past three years, districts are now faced with the challenge of maintaining services and programs without the additional federal funding. The impact on students, teachers, and communities will vary, but the loss of funding is likely to have far-reaching consequences in many school districts across the country.
