Alabama education officials outline how federal COVID relief funds can be used for devices, health and recovery programs

Alabama State Department of Education officials on Thursday summarized how federal COVID relief money has been distributed and how districts may use new allotments for devices, health supports and recovery programs.

The presentation, led by a department staff member identified in the meeting as Doctor Mackey, said the first round of CARES money routed through the governor went entirely to K-12 schools and was largely used for devices and mobile Wi-Fi, including Wi‑Fi on buses. Mackey said, “I cannot find another state where that happened,” referring to the governor directing 100% of that first pot to K-12.

Mackey described three federal “pots” of money from the first round. Money routed through the U.S. Department of Education funded device purchases and other education needs; money from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) administered by the Department of the Treasury funded health and wellness supports such as nurses and PPE and had an initial December 31 spending deadline; and a third pot paid for remote learning devices. A department finance staff member, identified as Craig, answered board questions about timing and deadlines for the second round of funds (SR2).

Why it matters: districts need clarity now to plan budgets and hiring. Mackey said a second round of federal relief (often referred to in the discussion as SR2) will allow districts to plan multi-year recovery efforts, but rules remain unclear for parts of the money — especially funds that must flow to private schools or to broadband programs administered by other federal agencies.

Key details from the briefing: - CARES/first-round device funding: Mackey said almost all devices purchased since March of the prior year were coded to the federal device pot; about $60 million was spent in the first semester through an entity Mackey described as a separate delivery mechanism (she referred to it as DECA). - CRF and health/wellness: Mackey said roughly $70 million was allocated to health and wellness supports (nurses, PPE and similar services). - GEER and ESSER in round two: Mackey said GEER money for the state was about $67 million, of which $45.5 million must initially be offered to nonpublic schools; schools have six months to claim that money, after which unclaimed funds revert to public schools. The ESSER/SR2 pool discussed at length was described as approximately $899 million, with about $810 million flowing directly to school systems and a 10% ($~89 million) statewide reserve for projects such as literacy and student wellness. - Private-school allocations and administration: Mackey said nonpublic schools do not receive an automatic per-child check but must apply through a grant process administered by local education agencies; LEAs will administer those grants and may retain up to 5% for administrative oversight of the private-school grant processes. - Broadband and FCC funding: part of the federal allocations for connectivity will pass through or be coordinated with the Federal Communications Commission; the department has not received full guidance and does not expect all broadband funds to flow directly through the State Department of Education. - Pandemic EBT: temporary additional benefits to families for meals remain a DHR (Department of Human Resources) program; the education department said it helped with outreach during the prior year.

Discussion and follow up: Mackey said the department had a scheduled call with the U.S. Department of Education to get more detailed rules on the GEER/ESSER flexibilities and that the department will issue additional guidance to districts as it receives federal clarifications. Board members pressed for clarity on allowable uses (for example, stipends, extended contracts and extended school-year pay) and for the department to assist districts with planning and accounting to avoid unsustainable long-term commitments.

Department staff said some allowable uses include paying salaries and benefits for extended contracts or summer school staff, cover stipends for additional contracted work (for after‑school or Saturday programs), and pay for extended-service days; the department said the funds cannot be used for universal per‑employee “bonuses.”

Ending: Department staff and board members agreed to continue coordination with legislative and executive budget offices and to circulate updated guidance when federal rules are published.