This week, the Arizona Auditor General released a special report providing summary information as to how Arizona school districts’ and charter schools’ reported spending through June 30, 2021, and planned spending of allocated/awarded COVID-19 federal relief monies, as required by law. This special report also provides Arizona Department of Education (ADE)-reported spending through June 30, 2021, and planned future spending of the discretionary COVID-19 federal relief monies that it received, as required by the law.
| Districts and charters reported spending nearly $1.1 billion, or 24.8 percent, of their just over $4.3 billion allocated COVID-19 federal relief monies through June 30, 2021. | Districts and charters reported spending and planning to continue spending the largest portion of COVID-19 federal relief monies, 57.6 percent and 43 percent, respectively, on maintaining operations. | ADE has identified spending priorities for its $401.1 million of discretionary COVID-19 federal relief monies, of which $383.1 million, or 95.5 percent, remained to be spent as of June 30, 2021. |
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Between March 2020 and November 2021, ADE received a total of $401.1 million in discretionary COVID-19 federal relief monies, of which $220.2 million was categorized as administrative and discretionary monies and $180.9 million was required set-aside money for State-wide strategic projects and investments that support schools’ recovery needs and increase learning opportunities for students.
ADE reported spending $18 million, or almost 4.5 percent, of its discretionary monies through June 30, 2021. Most of this spending, $11.4 million, or 63 percent, was provided to districts and charters for additional relief funding with an additional $100 million, or 26.1 percent of the $383.1 million total remaining amount, planned to be spent for the same purpose. ADE’s reported spending through June 30, 2021, and planned future spending, by category, and goals and descriptions are provided below. ADE’s website contains additional spending details at https://www.azed.gov/esser-setaside and https://www.azed.gov/esser-arp-application.
 ADE spent/distributed through June 30, 2021
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| Additional relief funding to public schools—Goal: Baseline levels of relief funding for all public schools. | |
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Provide additional funds to ensure a baseline level of relief funding for public-school districts, non-profit charter, and career and technical education districts.
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| Student equity and achievement—Goal: Increase proficiency for all students and close achievement gaps. | |
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Engaging and empowering Arizona students to reach their full potential and providing opportunities for equitable academic outcomes so all students have access to multiple pathways to achieve life-long success.
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| Educator recruitment and retention—Goal: Every student has access to qualified educators and leaders. | |
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Inadequate retention and recruitment of teachers and other professionals providing specialized student support, such as school counselors, has led to a staffing shortage in schools. Highly effective teachers in the classroom are the biggest predictor of student success. Arizona must foster a robust, statewide teaching profession where educators can grow and thrive professionally and personally.
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| Safe and healthy schools—Goal: All students will learn and grow in a safe and healthy environment. | |
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Integral to every child’s education is their social-emotional well-being, of which mental and physical health and safety have a primary role. Schools need resources and information to sustain safe, healthy, supportive, and inclusive environments for students, families, and educators.
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| Serving the Arizona school communities and families through the pandemic—Goal: Help schools and families address disruptions resulting from the emergency of the pandemic. | |
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Schools also need support to help prepare for safe school openings, as well as future disruptions to health and access to learning.
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| Bridging the digital divide and providing access to digital resources—Goal: Bridge the digital divide and provide access to broadband. | |
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Provide relief to meet immediate needs and address ongoing needs and solutions that strengthen connectivity across Arizona and its school communities.
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| Post-secondary access and attainment—Goal: All students are prepared to access, and succeed in, post-secondary learning opportunities. | |
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Post-secondary access and success is vital to ensuring all students reach their full potential.
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| Administration | |
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Supporting ADE’s grant oversight operations.
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| Other and indirect costs—Goal: Other & Indirect Costs includes funds allocated for indirect cost recovery and state projects that are in process for finalization and/or public announcement. | |
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Indirect costs represent the expenses of doing business that are not readily identified with a particular grant, contract, project function or activity, but are necessary for the general operation of the organization and the conduct of activities it performs. ADE recovers indirect costs on funds allocated for ESSER State Projects per ADE’s U.S. Department of Education (USED) approved Indirect Cost rate agreement.
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| ESSER III required set-aside monies | |
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Set-aside funds will be allocated in FY 2022 toward statewide strategic projects and investments that will support schools’ recovery needs and increase learning opportunities for students through 2024, primarily per a Request for Grant Proposal Application (RFGA) process based on the recommendations of the Equitable & Effective Schools Taskforce and ADE’s ESSER III State Plan, approved by USED on 10/07/2021.
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ADE planned future spending