Federal education funding continues to grow, targeting COVID-19 learning losses and other educational priorities

Pandemic continues to impact K-12 instructional sphere 

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a just-published report by SIMBA Information, K-12 education received three rounds of stimulus funding in 2021-2022 totaling more than $190 billion. In the report, PreK-12 Policy and Budget Outlook 2022-2023, SIMBA Information found that the majority of K-12 learning was taking place in person under guidelines provided by the US Department of Education and the CDC.

However, other forms of instruction – including partially or completely remote learning – are still being used to meet the needs of students; as such, schools have developed partnerships and programs to fit these modes of instruction.

The PreK-12 Policy & Budget Outlook 2022-2023 analyzes and provides information on the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that federal and state funding policy have had on education. Also covered in the report are the continued growth in career and technical education, policies and funding to enhance technology infrastructure, as well as the growth in social and emotional learning (SEL) policies

The report lays out data and trends in how the US federal government is funding education. For example, education is continuing to shift away from traditional print materials. Expenditures for elementary and secondary schools were $640 billion for the 2021-2022 school year, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics of the Department of Education; K-12 expenditures are equivalent to 3.41% of U.S. taxpayer income. State and local K-12 education funding equals 3.61% of total educational spending, with states contributing a total of $344 billion.

Also covered is the current administration's efforts to provide financial support to all state education agencies via the CARES Act which allowed $1.9 trillion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to be partially released to state education agencies for reopening schools in accordance with updated COVID-19 guidelines. The funding provided under the Biden-Harris administration more than doubles past appropriations

In addition to examining the funding and policy trends, the report examines specific focus policy areas, such as Title 1 Funding as the administration works to support Native American and African American populations to remove educational access barriers. Policies include an increase of $20 billion to further fund both the Title I Equity Grants program, as well as Title I financial support in general.

Rounding out the key issues covered in the report are: historical perspective on policy & funding; updated guidelines for reopening schools; Title 1 and disadvantaged populations; classroom connectivity; and trends in federal & state ESSER implementation including promotion of the switch to digital, and a focus on computer science and student privacy and security. Also covered are state education overviews including a trend in the focus on digital and media literacy, as well as career and technical education.

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SOURCE Simba Information