How districts plan to spend $13.6 billion in relief funding

An intensive focus on reading skills. Tutoring. More mental health services. Cleaner indoor air. More teaching aides for English learners. Summer activities for more students.

These are some common themes in the plans that California school districts and charter schools have adopted for spending a huge amount from the latest round of federal COVID-19 aid: $13.6 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act that Congress passed in March.

Districts have nearly three years, until Sept. 30, 2024, to spend the money. School boards had until Oct. 29 to approve their spending plans, after consulting with the public for suggestions. With the final sign-off earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Education, they are entitled to all of the funding.

Not that they’re hurting for money at the moment. They’ve already received an additional $13 billion in funding from two rounds of federal COVID-19 relief since March 2020, plus billions in one-time and ongoing funding from a record-high state pre-K-12 budget.

All of this money presents a unique opportunity to meet the needs of students most affected by the pandemic, said Liz Guillen, legislative advocate for the nonprofit law firm Public Advocates. But meeting those needs requires “thoughtful planning, because districts are just getting a lot of money thrown at them in a short period of time,” she said. That’s why Public Advocates and other advocacy groups persuaded the state Board of Education to grant another planning month beyond a Sept. 30 deadline.

California’s full share of the federal money is $15.3 billion. Gov. Gavin Newsom controls 10%, which he is putting toward vaccination clinics statewide and expanded learning grants for summer school, an extended day or a longer school year.

Congress required that school districts spend at least 20% of the funding to address lost instructional time during the pandemic resulting from school closures and distance learning — most districts committed far more — as well as to address students’ social, emotional and mental health needs.

They also can spend it to create a safe and sanitary school environment.

COVID-19 funding can be used to pay salaries to prevent layoffs but can’t be used “for bonuses, merit pay and similar expenses” unless they’re related to school closures and disruptions, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

But Congress gave districts latitude to make decisions. And they granted an option for districts to spend what’s necessary “to maintain the operation of and continuity of services” and to continue “to employ existing staff.”

San Francisco Unified took that literally. Faced with a massive operating deficit, it is applying $56 million of its $96.7 million American Rescue Plan Act allotment to this year’s budget. In justifying the action, the district said the alternative — budget cuts — “would compound the trauma and challenge faced by students throughout and because of COVID-19.” That will leave less than $40 million for the next two years.

Some districts are planning new initiatives with some of the money.

For Oakland, it’s $7 million to launch teacher visits to their students’ homes to have a kitchen table talk with parents; the money will cover training and the cost of sending teams of two — the teacher and a facilitator — to the homes.

San Jose Unified’s $28 million equaled an extra 7.5% of its budget, so it added that percentage to its major spending categories.

Even though the one-time federal and state funding will end in 2023-24, some districts plan to add or already have added significant numbers of teachers and staff. They argue they must respond now to students’ learning deficits and social and emotional issues. They hope that between staff retirements and healthy state revenues they can sustain the new staff. West Contra Costa Unified’s agreement with teachers calls for adding 120 teachers and support staff to lower class sizes in K-3 grades and cap classroom sizes elsewhere.

Pajaro Valley Unified in Watsonville added 58 intervention teachers, instructional assistants, and socialemotional counselors and psychologists.

But the reality is a staffing shortage. For many districts, new positions will go unfilled.

Instead of adding instructional staff, Vallejo City Unified will pay teachers for more time: subject to bargaining, $7.5 million to work half an hour longer each day, $2.2 million for 20 minutes extra prep time per week and $2 million to extend the year during intercessions and summers for targeted student groups.

For districts with declining enrollments resulting in a projected loss of revenue, like East Side Union High School District in San Jose, the American Rescue Plan Act funding will help sustain the workforce they have, not further expand it. East Side Union instead is aiming to broaden contracts with community agencies for counseling and telehealth in new school wellness centers, said Teresa Marquez, associate superintendent of education services. “We’re hesitant to hire social workers with one-time dollars,” she said.

How much a district gets in federal funding also may temper its ambitions; the amounts vary widely. They mostly were determined by a district’s federal aid tied to poverty rates.

For wealthy communities, it’s hundreds of dollars per student: $353 in Los Gatos Elementary. For low-income districts, it can be 20 times as much. Among those at the top of that list is Los Angeles Unified, which was allotted $4.6 billion, or $11,144 per student.

Districts can use the funding for personal protective equipment, Chromebooks and software, ventilation systems and COVID-19 testing. Some districts without facilities bonds are committing a big portion of their funding for those costs.

Long Beach Superintendent Jill Baker said the impact of COVID-19 has spurred the district to reimagine the classroom experience. The challenge will be in three years, she said, when the money runs out. “If we see huge growth in students reading by third grade, which we’re expecting, then we’ll need to really look at how to sustain what’s proven to make a difference for our students.”