Deadline looms for Maryland to obligate federal money for schools

Maryland school officials said they are confident they will able to obligate almost $780 million in federal funds by Sept. 30 – money that will have to be returned to the federal government if they don’t.

The funding is part of $1.95 billion Maryland received in use-it-or-lose-it pandemic-relief funds for schools from the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, program. As of this week, Maryland had spent 60.7% of the total, for $1.18 billion.

Maryland’s rate of obligating its funds is one of the lowest in the nation, ahead of only Nebraska and the District of Columbia, according to a U.S. Department of Education dashboard...

Deadline looms for Maryland to obligate federal money for schools - WTOP News