Federal COVID Education Funding: Update

Neal McCluskey

Last week I published an estimate of the money that has gone to elementary and secondary schools under the two, major, federal COVID-19 relief measures that have already been enacted, and would go to them under President Biden’s proposed, $1.9 trillion bill. My goal is to identify whether total relief would exceed need and whether funding is being spread equally between public and private schools. I also said this is a rough estimate and I would refine and correct it as needed.

Today I have my first refinement: A reader reminded me that charter schools received about $1.3 billion in CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program dollars, which I had overlooked. Charter schools are schools of choice, but they are also public schools, so I have added $1.3 billion to the public‐​school CARES Act column. That moves public school aid per‐​pupil from $3,920 to $3,945, which eclipses estimated need even more than before. Remember, though, that Paycheck Protection funds have to be repaid if schools do not meet usage requirements.