This is an email that was sent to superintendents on April 1.
On Friday evening, March 28, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sent an email to all state education agencies notifying us that the U.S. Department of Education (USED) is changing the deadline it previously provided to liquidate COVID relief funds to end at 5 p.m., this past Friday, March 28. USED previously granted KDE’s request to liquidate COVID relief funds through March 28, 2026.
According to the letter, “In response to a liquidation extension request, the Department of Education previously granted a discretionary extension of the period of liquidation. But the Department has reconsidered your request.” The letter adds, “However, even though the COVID pandemic and the liquidation period under the applicable regulations have ended, the Department will consider an extension to your liquidation period on an individual project-specific basis.”
In February, USED changed how the COVID relief funds were requested by states and processed by USED. Due to this change in process, KDE has not received COVID grant funding the next business day as was previously the case. To date, KDE has been paying district grant recipients and asking the federal government to reimburse us. At this point in time, we have asked to be reimbursed for nearly $5 million, with no response from USED.
This latest message from USED will harm a variety of our schools and districts across the state even more. KDE and/or our school districts have already committed or spent these funds because we were promised a liquidation period ending March 2026.
Nineteen districts asked to have an extended time to fully spend their COVID relief dollars that totaled $84.1 million. There are now 13 districts with $34 million remaining that should be accessible to spend for the benefit of students, primarily on construction projects or bus purchases, based on the USED previously guaranteed liquidation date of March 28, 2026. Because USED required that grant funds subject to the extended liquidation deadline be obligated before Sept. 30, 2024, USED’s action to shorten the liquidation period by a full year leaves our districts and KDE in a difficult position.
There are many projects at KDE for the benefit of our schools and districts that also are in jeopardy due to this sudden change by Sec. McMahon.
A total of $4.3 million in federal funds had been identified and approved by USED to provide crucial KY K-12 EdTech services up to March 2026 for all of the Commonwealth’s public school students, teachers and staff in every K-12 school, school district office and KDE. The largest part of that funding is for the completion of a Kentucky K-12 cyber defense construction project that we started soon after COVID began that is due to be fully in place in 2026. COVID resulted in a significant increase in attempted cyberattacks on Kentucky’s K-12 organizations, to the point that educational organizations are the number one target of cybercriminals from around the world.
Close to $900,000 of that $4.3 million was to pay for the online registration service for Kentucky’s K-12 students and their parents. This service also automatically uploads K-12 student results from learning management systems like Google Classroom into our Kentucky Student Information System, which is used by students, families and teachers.
In addition, more than $100,000 was to pay for e-Transcripts services that are offered to all of Kentucky’s public school seniors to help with a faster, better and smooth transition from high school to post-secondary after their COVID years in high school. This is a one-time payment.
Also at risk is our fourth cohort for the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning. More than 6,000 educators have participated in LETRS training, an evidence-based. comprehensive no-cost opportunity open to all K-5 public school educators. Through this investment in LETRS, teachers gain essential knowledge to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction required to transform student learning and create a more vibrant experience for each and every young reader.
Kentucky also has used COVID funding to implement evidence-based programs through summer, before- and after-school initiatives to tackle learning loss and support the needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, those experiencing homelessness and children in foster care in those schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) in the fall of 2022.
KDE will request that Sec. McMahon reconsider her letter dated March 28, 2025, and reinstate the March 2026 liquidation deadline previously granted to KDE.
Call to Action:
We urge all superintendents and stakeholders to contact their federal legislators regarding this change by Sec. McMahon. Take the time to explain to our federal legislators how the sudden change in the liquidation deadline for COVID relief funds by the U.S. Department of Education will negatively impact our schools and districts, particularly the most vulnerable populations in the Commonwealth. You may wish to emphasize the following points:
- The abrupt change in the deadline has left many districts with committed or spent funds that were promised reimbursement, putting them in a difficult financial position.
- The extension of the liquidation period through March 2026 is crucial for districts to complete essential projects, such as construction and bus purchases, which are already under contract and cannot be easily canceled.
- The sudden change jeopardizes critical initiatives, including the application of new cybersecurity software to protect school computers, the continuation of the LETRS professional learning program for educators, and implementation of evidenced-based programs that address learning loss.
By taking immediate action and voicing your concerns, we can work together to ensure that our schools and districts receive the support they need to continue providing quality education to all students.
Thank you for being …
All In,
Dr. Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Kentucky Department of Education
Contact Information for Kentucky’s Congressional Delegation
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Phone: (202) 224-2541
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Sen. Rand Paul
Phone: (202) 224-4343
https://www.paul.senate.gov/services/
Rep. James Comer, 1st District
Phone: (202) 225-3115
https://comer.house.gov/contact
Rep. Brett Guthrie, 2nd District
Phone: (202) 225-3501
https://guthrie.house.gov/services/
Rep. Morgan McGarvey, 3rd District
Phone: (202) 225-5401
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/contact
Rep. Thomas Massie, 4th District
Phone: (202) 225-3465
https://massie.house.gov/contact/
Rep. Hal Rogers, 5th District
Phone: (202) 225-4601
https://halrogers.house.gov/contact-hal
Rep. Andy Barr
Phone: (202) 225-4706
https://barr.house.gov/contact
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