MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of Education faces a fast-approaching deadline to allocate nearly $500 million in remaining COVID-19 relief funds to school districts. The state has been slower than most in distributing these funds.
According to a dashboard from the U.S. Department of Education, Maryland lags behind almost every other state in allocating the funds. However, state officials report that 72% of the $1.7 billion awarded to Maryland by the federal government has been spent.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic began more than four years ago, schools and students are still grappling with its lasting impact. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program was created to address these challenges.
Worcester County Public Schools has already laid out a plan for how to spend its portion of the funds. Dr. Annette Wallace, the county’s chief operating and academic officer, said the focus has been on addressing academic gaps, particularly in English Language Arts (ELA) and math.
“This funding was more around specifically targeting our ELA and our Math,” Dr. Wallace said. “Whether it be programs to catch students up or filling gaps in our curriculum, this funding has been strictly focused on academics.”
The state has until Monday to submit its plan for awarding the remaining funds. If the money is not committed by the September 30 deadline, it must be returned to the federal government.
The relief funds are required to address deficiencies caused by COVID, from enhancing curriculum to providing personal protective equipment. Dr. Wallace emphasized the importance of this funding in helping students recover academically after the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
“This money has been really great in making sure that our kids who came back to us after COVID were caught up to where they needed to be,” she said.
Maryland is not the only state still working through its COVID relief funds. Delaware has spent 83% of its funds, while Virginia has used 77%, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
