Pa. Senate Urges 'Smart Use' Of School Stimulus Money

The American Rescue Plan delivered more than $5 billion in stimulus to Pennsylvania’s 501 school districts, but senators last week urged caution when spending the “windfall.”

Pa. Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega told the Pa. Senate Appropriations Committee on March 18 that some of the money comes with strings attached so that schools focus on pandemic-induced learning loss first.

But the department can’t dictate how each dollar is spent – and districts face many needs, most the result of ongoing funding challenges that predate COVID-19.

“We can’t dictate how schools ar...