US School Districts Rush to Spend Pandemic Relief Funds as Deadline Looms

Districts can request additional time to spend down the money if the Department of Education approves the expenditure.

Kindergarteners wear masks while listening to their teacher amid the COVID-19 pandemic at Washington Elementary School in Lynwood, Calif., on Jan. 12, 2022. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo

Many school districts across the nation could be required to return millions of dollars to the U.S. Treasury if they don’t spend their remaining post-COVID-19 relief grant money within 30 days, according to federal data.

Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab tracks the spending of American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, which the Department of Education distributed to school districts over three phases since 2021.