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One-Time Federal COVID Relief Funds

Recognizing the financial pressures created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government passed legislation that provides funding to K-12 schools to help mitigate the additional expenses related to continuing to educate students during a pandemic.  Three federal bills have been passed that include K-12 funding components:

  1. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed March 27, 2020
  2. Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, passed December 27, 2020
  3. American Rescue Plan Act, passed March 11, 2021

Willmar Public Schools is aware of access to the federal COVID relief funds listed here.  Each has a unique set of allowable uses.  These funds cannot simply replace lost revenue.  They must be spent on allowable uses per statute and are reimbursed through a claims process.  The district plans to finish using the Round I funds and begin utilizing the Round II funds in the 2021-22 school year.  Plans are continuing to be developed for the remaining Round II and III funds. 

The district is committed to using these federal COVID relief funds in a thoughtful and responsible manner.  These one-time revenues are best utilized on one-time expenditures to avoid a “funding cliff” that would lead to future budget cuts.   To the extent that the district is able use these federal funds to preserve existing fund balance for continuity of operations, it will do so.

The ESSER III spending plan for Willmar Public Schools is available here.