Phoenix, AZ – Arizona State Schools Chief Tom Horne has announced that several school districts and charter schools across the state have yet to fully utilize federal COVID-19 relief funds appropriated by Congress in 2021. With the deadline to obligate these funds under the ESSER III law quickly approaching on September 30, 2024, Horne emphasized the urgency of action.
As of now, 81% of the $2.36 billion allocated to Arizona schools has been spent, leaving $432 million still to be used. Districts and charters must draw down these funds by the end of the year to avoid losing the financial support meant to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
“This funding is critical to help schools address the impact of COVID-19,” said Horne. “We’ve been actively reminding districts and charters of the September deadline. While many are on track, some are at risk of reverting funds. This can still be avoided if they take action now.”
The Arizona Department of Education offers a dashboard that tracks the progress of each district and charter school in utilizing ESSER III funds. Although not updated in real time, the dashboard is periodically refreshed to reflect current status.
For more information and to view the dashboard, visit the Arizona Department of Education website.
