A Discussion on Federal Funding for K-12 Schools with David Klug and Yaruba Tate

To address the impact COVID-19 had on K-12 schools across the United States, the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) earmarked a portion of the stimulus package for states to spend on education. With funding made available to schools across the U.S., Convergint’s SLED (State &  Local Government and Education) expert David Klug joined Tennessee General Manager Yaruba Tate for a conversation on federal funding for K-12 schools. Watch the full recorded video discussion below.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has made funding available through the CARES act. The CARES act consists of grants that are made available to governors, state education agencies, and higher education institutions to help prevent, prepare for, and respond to the effects of COVID-19.

State governors have asked for maximum flexibility with spending guidelines for CARES act funding, and the grants support a broad range of uses related to physical safety and security equipment, video analytics, crime prevention, information technology, and more. For competitive grants and funding opportunities that are available on an annual recurring basis are more specific and follow more strict application guidelines.

For ongoing CARES act funding, all individual US states manage the flow of information from funds from the federal government to state and municipal agencies and education institutions. The annual recurring competitive grants have application timetables that vary, with many applications due during the springtime every year and award announcements typically made in the fall.