COUNTY SCHOOLS TO GET OVER $908M

Funding to come from American Rescue Plan Act

The American Rescue Plan Act is expected to pour more than $908 million of additional federal relief money into San Diego County school districts and charter schools, according to estimates from the Congressional Research Service.

Last week President Joe Biden signed the country’s third COVID relief package into law totaling $1.9 trillion in aid, $122 billion of which will be sent to K-12 schools.

Federal officials recently announced that another $10 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will fund COVID testing for K-12 schools. Biden and other national leaders said the latest infusion of school aid should help schools reopen for instruction.

Some San Diego districts that remain closed have plans to open next month, but others are waiting as long as until May or July.

“As the father of two young children who have done remote learning throughout this pandemic, I share all parents’ eagerness to get kids back in the classroom quickly and safely,” said Rep. Mike Levin, a Democrat who represents North County and part of Orange County, in a statement. “We know that our kids have not received the education they deserve during this pandemic and we have a long way to go to rectify that, but I am glad that local schools will receive the federal funding they need to begin that process.”

School districts will get more than twice the amount

of money from the American Rescue Plan Act they got in the last federal relief package that passed in late December. Similar to the previous relief packages, federal aid is doled out based on a formula that gives more money to districts and charter schools with higher percentages of low-income or disadvantaged students.

San Diego Unified, which remains closed but is scheduled to open for in-person instruction on April 12, and its charter schools are expected to get a total of $342.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Charter schools are public schools run independently of school districts.

That’s on top of about $240 million the district, by itself, received from the two earlier federal COVID relief packages, according to estimates from EdSource.

Districts and charter schools must use at least 20 percent of the American Rescue Plan Act money to address pandemic learning loss through initiatives like summer school, afterschool programs or an extended school year.

Schools have significant flexibility to spend the rest of the money. For example, they can spend it on activities to help low-income and other disadvantaged students, as well as on cleaning supplies, education technology, mental health services, professional development and improving classroom ventilation.

“Parents and children want a return to in-person school and they want it done safely,” said Rep. Scott Peters, a Democrat who represents parts of the county including San Diego, Poway and Coronado, in a statement. “The funds ensured by the American Rescue Plan Act will give teachers and staff much-needed flexibility to do what needs to be done to safely welcome students in the classroom and boost virtual teaching capabilities. These funds give us reason to remain hopeful on the way back to normalcy.”

Although Biden has said the aid is meant to help schools reopen, the legislation allows schools to use the money for costs associated with school closures, including free meals for children and technology for distance learning.

Overall San Diego districts have benefited from financial security throughout the pandemic. In addition to receiving money from three relief packages, California districts and charter schools were protected from state funding declines this year even though many districts lost enrollment, which normally would cost them money.

Schools also will get extra money from the state to address learning loss and to reopen by mid-May under a state reopening incentive package finalized this month.

Here are the San Diego County districts that got the most money from the America Rescue Plan Act, according to the Congressional Research Service. Totals include charter schools.

• San Diego Unified: $342,596,000

• Sweetwater High: $88,862,000

• Cajon Valley Union: $60,487,000

• Chula Vista Elementary: $50,523,000

• Vista $46,691,000

• Grossmont High: $42,383,000

• Escondido $39,635,000

• Oceanside $30,811,000

• La Mesa-Spring Valley: $22,902,000

• San Marcos Unified: $20,917,000

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