What Is SFUSD Doing with Their Federal Stimulus Aid?

The New York Times recently published an article discussing how schools will use their billions of dollars of stimulus aid. Read the article here.

Wondering what SFUSD is doing with their money? Based on SFUSD’s most recent budget overview, SFUSD’s remaining federal stimulus funds are almost entirely devoted to covering the FY 21-22 budget deficit. The budget overview states:

"Now, looking ahead to FY 2021-22, a total of $119 million federal stimulus funding is being used to address a budget deficit of $100.2 million, allowing SFUSD to welcome all students back to more stable in-person classrooms. By avoiding destabilizing budget cuts, SFUSD will be able to provide social-emotional and learning recovery support as students transition back from distance learning, possible learning loss, social isolation, and other hardships."

In comparison, districts across the country are using stimulus funds for a variety of additional investments to address COVID-related challenges, including extending the school year, providing tutoring, hiring more mental health professionals, upgrading facilities, and improving special education services. Education finance experts are advising districts to use stimulus funds to make immediate investments that can benefit students even after the funds are required to be spent (by 2024).