A recent federal effort to claw back millions in unspent COVID relief funds shocked education leaders across the country. It meant at least $106 million would be yanked from Massachusetts – with almost half of those dollars affecting Springfield Public Schools alone. But as the dust settles and officials figure out what to do next, the picture appears to not be as grim as it was a week ago.
What seemed like a sizable financial dilemma Springfield might have to face may not be the crisis some may have initially thought it’d be.
That seemed to be the sentiment at a Budget & Finance meeting involving members of the Springfield School Committee Tuesday. The meeting was held in the wake of the Department of Education declaring in late March that it was canceling extensions given on unspent, pandemic-related dollars — about a month after federal officials assured Massachusetts the extensions would remain in place.
Around $47 million was slated to reimburse the city for its spending on approved, pandemic-related projects.
After initial worry, though, state education leaders are now assuring the school district it should continue filing for reimbursements, says Patrick Roach, Chief Financial and Operations Officer of Springfield Public Schools.
“We have been told by the state to continue submitting our reimbursements and that they plan to continue reimbursing us, and they plan to fight the Trump administration on denying these funds,” he told school committee members. “So, on April 20, our window opens up to draw down again.”
In a letter dated March 28, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon declared extensions for spending Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds were not justified, including extensions lasting until March 2026.
$106 million in ESSER dollars for Massachusetts were terminated as a result - a move Governor Maura Healey declared “illegal.”
While Springfield wasn’t relying on ESSER grants to fund critical needs like staffing – it did use them for one-time projects related to improving air quality, outdoor facilities and other infrastructure, Roach says.
“We did HVAC projects - that's adding air conditioning to ten of our schools - outdoor classrooms and playgrounds, I think there were … over 20 playgrounds and outdoor classrooms,” he recounted. “At SciTech, we put in a wellness center in the back of the sports pavilion there. Putnam's practice field … [a] STEM and outdoor classroom and pavilion, Central's auditorium and gymnasium, SciTech’s amphitheater, which is in process, but … the construction hasn't started.”
Many of the projects described were set in motion last year. Some of them are done and the city's been paid back, Roach previously told WAMC, but most were nearly-done before the DoE announcement.
In some cases, like playgrounds students have been using for months, officials have literally been waiting for grass to grow to demonstrate grass seed work was a success — and the project can be declared finished and filed with the state for reimbursement.
Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall, emphasized that, regardless of what's taken place, because of how the city and previous superintendent handled ESSER dollars – the claw back would not affect staffing or classrooms at SPS.
“Fortunately, because of the work of our budget department, as well as the city of Springfield, we're able to say that this does not have direct impact on what goes on in the classroom on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “Decisions were made prior to my arrival that were very thoughtful and intentional and applauded by the state and others, that ESSER funds were not used for salaries or for positions, so we were able to ensure that we were kept sacred instruction. So, this amount does not reflect an impact on teaching and learning.”
Responding to Monroe-Naylor reaffirming the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would assist with reimbursing the city, Roach went as far as to say the school department’s budget shouldn’t be affected by the claw back, either, while also describing what's likely to happen next if the reimbursements don’t happen.
“The logistics of this are, really, that it won't impact the school department's budget at all,” he said. “If, for any reason, the money doesn't get reimbursed … we would have to help city hall and work with city hall on whether they bond for it or what they do to make up the difference, but it won't affect any of our staff or our students.”
In her March 28 letter to state chiefs of education, McMahon said her department will consider funding extensions on a “individual project-specific basis,” and detailed an application process. It's not immediately clear if any Massachusetts officials would consider going through said process.
