Colorado schools got nearly $2 billion in COVID aid. Now the money is ending and districts face tough budget decisions.

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Nearly $2 billion in federal aid flowed into Colorado school districts’ coffers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and, with that money, they expanded tutoring for children, started after-s…

Denver Public School students at Ellis Elementary School follow their 1st grade teacher Megan Westmore to her classroom for the start of the 2022-23 school year on August 22, 2022, in Denver. Nearly $2 billion in federal aid flowed into Colorado school districts’ coffers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and, with that money, they expanded tutoring for children, started after-school and summer programs and increased mental health services.

DPS spent the aid money on summer programs to help address students’ learning losses from the pandemic. Money also went to other projects, such as improving and tracking“We tried to deploy the money in a way that was one-time in nature and not put it in recurring costs,” Carpenter said. Jeffco Public Schools received more than $105 million in ESSER money, according to the Edunomics Lab. A spokeswoman for the district did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

Most school districts used the federal ESSER money as they would a grant, knowing it had an expiration date — meaning the so-called “financial cliff” isn’t as steep as expected. Still, unless they were able to find other funding sources, it does mean that some programs and jobs will be eliminated, said Frank Reeves, director of operations and strategic partnerships at the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance.

That pilot, which provided intensive clinical training to kids with trauma and anxiety, was something the district “really got right,” said Joe Waldon, who was a therapeutic support specialist in the program.With ESSER funds running out this year, the mental health department at DPS had to reevaluate the services it provides, said Courtney Sommer, the district’s senior manager of behavior and mental health.

 

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