Florida is the only state that has not asked for help for schools due to coronavirus

The United States Department of Education alerted the authorities of Florida that to date is the only state in the country that has not submitted a plan to receive hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funds for public schools due to the pandemic of the covid-19.

In a letter sent today to Richard Corcoran, head of education in the Florida Government, Ian Rosenblum, a senior official in the federal Department of Education, reminded him that without approval of the plan, which should have been delivered last June, the state would not You will be able to receive funds from the American Rescue Plan allocated to the state.

It is, he points out, more than 2,300 of the 7,000 million in federal funds assigned to the state.

“We have heard repeatedly from parents, teachers and school district superintendents in Florida that the FDOE (Florida Department of Education) has not yet awarded ARP ESSER (Emergency Relief for Elementary and Secondary Schools) funds to local educational agencies.” wrote in the Rosenblum letter.

The FDOE did not meet the June submission deadline, nor did it meet filing deadlines in the next two months, Rosenblum wrote.

“The FDOE delay raises significant concerns because of the unnecessary uncertainty it is creating for school districts across the state and because it is hampering their ability to confidently plan how to use these funds to address student needs,” he said.

In this way, Florida, with a high incidence of COVID-19 infections, is the only state that has not delivered a plan to receive billions in aid for schools, the federal government remarks.

States received two-thirds of the ARP ESSER, funds in advance under the American Rescue Plan approved in March. The remaining third would be awarded only after states received approval from the US Department of Education.

In Florida’s case, $ 4.6 billion in ARP ESSER funding has been awarded, but because the state did not submit a plan for approval by June 7, more than $ 2.3 billion in additional funding is being withheld.

That money would be used to fund everything from hygiene and safety measures in schools to mental health services, as well as additional learning opportunities after public school districts have grappled with obstacles like virtual classes.

Last August, Representative Kathy Castor, from Florida’s 14th District, led a call from Democratic congressmen urging Governor Ron DeSantis to “immediately” distribute billions in federal funds earmarked for public schools and made available to the state. through the American Rescue Plan.

In a statement to DeSantis and Corcoran, Castor urged them to present the state plan to the federal government.

“We urge you to expedite the delivery of emergency federal funds to our local public schools, introduce Florida’s ARP ESSER state plan, put the needs of our families and students first, and work with us to ensure that Florida students prosper and reach your full potential, “said the Democrat.

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