Although the ARP funds, which total $121.9 billion, were meant to be a temporary boost to school coffers in response to pandemic setbacks, district leaders said more time is needed to provide additional support to students.
“Superintendents know best how to maximize the academic impact of the funding,” said Daniel Domenech, AASA executive director. “It costs nothing for Congress to give districts additional time to extend the additional resources they have in place — reading specialists, tutoring programs, enrichment offerings and social-emotional supports — for students for an additional two years.”
AASA wants Congress to move the ARP obligation deadline from Sept. 30, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2026. AASA, along with several other national organizations and individual district leaders, also want the U.S. Department of Education to clarify the process for requesting an 18-month extension for the spending of ARP funds beyond the Sept. 30, 2024, obligation deadline.
In the AASA survey, 48% of superintendents said the September 2024 deadline presents an obstacle to renovating school facilities and improving ventilation. Supply chain issues, worker shortages and inflation have all created challenges for infrastructure projects, school leaders have said.
AASA said hundreds of superintendents responded to the July survey, which the organization called a continuation of its effort to document how district leaders are using ARP funds.
In addition to focusing on whole child supports, superintendents said ARP funding is also being prioritized for programs that engage high school students who have fallen off-track to graduate and who need additional support to successfully transition to college and career.
Other survey findings include:
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Our latest K-12 Dive Trendline takes a closer look at how educators are addressing social-emotional learning amid the mental and emotional health concerns of the pandemic.
COVID-19 likely increased homelessness, but different definitions of 'homeless' continue making it difficult for districts to help families access resources.
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