Feds reject appeal of $10.6 million in cuts to KY schools COVID funding. Now what?
The U.S. Department of Education has largely rejected a request by Kentucky education officials to continue funding projects in Kentucky school districts using coronavirus relief money.
Federal officials approved two smaller project for Boone County Schools: a $26,000 grant for an interactive learning platform and $18,600 to fund one year of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, according to Kentucky Department of Education officials.
The U.S. Department of Education rejected $10.6 million in COVID spending in other Kentucky school districts, state officials said.
On March 28, KDE received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education informing state and local education officials the timeline to spend all federal funds related to COVID relief was amended to end March 28.
This action came after Kentucky was notified by federal education officials in September 2024 that it could spend its remaining COVID funds through March 2026.
The state then appealed the decision to terminate the already awarded funds on behalf of Kentucky school districts.
Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said the Kentucky Department of Education will appeal the denial of the $10.6 million in funding.
“While we hope for more good news in the coming days, we stand ready to appeal the projects that have been denied,” Fletcher said. “We will continue to fight for the resources our schools and districts have been promised by USED to continue their mission of providing the best education possible to Kentucky’s students.”
Some of the Kentucky school projects that have been denied include:
- $7,983,326.94 to be used for construction of a new Christian County High School.
$958,472.71 to be used for replacing or repairing damaged and moldy roofs in the Clinton County School District.
$340,347.96 to provide services and support for Jefferson County Public School students who are experiencing homelessness.
Also on Thursday, a U.S. District judge blocked President Donald Trump’s administration effort to fire thousands of federal education employees as a way to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Only Congress can dismantle an agency it created, the judge ruled.
