Families can see how school districts spend COVID money

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - The pandemic has caused academic setbacks for students in Alabama. That’s according to a new report from the National Assessment of Education Progress that shows a significant drop in reading and math scores.

Over the last two years, Congress sent Alabama school districts $3.14 billion to address challenges caused by the pandemic. There is a tracker from A+ Education Partnership that breaks down how each district is spending its portion.

The tracker shows money allocated to:

• Education technology
• Activities for underserved students
• Mental health support
• Sanitization
• Summer learning and afterschool programs

The money is divided into districts based on need, but each received a minimum of nearly $200,000 to spend in those areas how they choose.

Mark Dixon with A+ Education Partnership says it will take time spent in and out of the classroom for students to recover academically.

“It’s important for community organizations as well to come together with school districts to help support them in this time as well,” he said. “This is going to be a multi-year process. But if we invest in wise strategies, now, we will see the outcomes and our students can succeed over the long haul.”

Districts will have until September 2023 to spend round two of the funds, and September 2024 to spend whatever is remaining.

You can find the breakdown here.

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