Education Policy & Funding

Feds to Help Fund Schools Penalized for Mask Bans

• By David Nagel
• 09/10/21

School districts whose funds are being withheld by their states for implementing mask bans (or for other measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus) will see some relief from the federal government. A new grant program, announced Sept. 9 by the United States Department of Education (ED), is expected to open in the "coming weeks."

According to ED: "The new grant program, Project SAFE (Supporting America's Families and Educators), anticipates using funding within the Department of Education from Title IV, Part F, School Safety National Activities, of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Local school districts would be able to apply for Project SAFE grants that will allow them to restore funding withheld by state leaders — such as for school board members or superintendents who have had their pay cut—when a school district implemented strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools. This funding will help districts improve student safety and well-being by advancing strategies to reduce transmission of COVID-19 in schools."

Applications are not yet open. According to ED, a notice inviting applications is expected to be posted in the coming weeks, with plans "to make grant awards as expeditiously as possible and on an ongoing basis."

ED said the grants will be made directly to local education agencies rather than state departments of education.