U.S. Department of Education Releases $17.5 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds for Alaska
The U.S. Department of Education has resolved a dispute with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development regarding the distribution of COVID-19 relief funds. After determining that Alaska had failed to comply with a “maintenance of equity” provision in the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal government withheld nearly $17.5 million in relief funds, designating the state as a “high-risk” grantee.
State officials argued that any funding reductions were due to declining enrollment rather than deliberate cuts. While lawmakers had allocated $11.9 million in the state’s budget to address the issue, Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed the funding, questioning its necessity.
However, in a recent letter, the federal Department of Education confirmed that one-time school funding boosts in the past two state budgets had offset the alleged cuts in previous years, closing the matter. Governor Dunleavy criticized the federal government’s allegations as “meritless” and described the dispute as a waste of time and resources.
According to state officials, the core issue was the state education department’s “hold harmless” provision, which spreads out funding cuts over several years in response to declining enrollment. Despite initial non-compliance by several states, Alaska was the only state remaining out of compliance until the recent resolution.
This development marks a positive outcome for Alaska, as the release of $17.5 million in relief funds will support the state’s education system in navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Photo credit alaskapublic.org
