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Foxx, Gallagher Call on Cardona to Release Data on Use of ESSER Funds

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 16, 2022
Today, Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) led 17 of their Republican colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Education to release the data it recently collected on how schools have used COVID-19 funding to combat learning loss.
 
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, the members expressed concern over a significant decline in reading and mathematics test scores and the need for Congress to understand how schools are using hundreds of billions of dollars to combat this growing problem, which is especially important since schools are still spending these dollars until 2024. The Department of Education finished collecting data on how these funds have been spent on July 1, but has yet to give Congress any indication of when it will make this information available to the public.
 
In part, the Members wrote, "We appreciate the work private organizations are making to track some of this data, but the data are insufficient and incomplete. Although the negative impacts of school closures have been clear for more than a year, the abysmal math and reading scores we saw last week show that parents, stakeholders, and Congress must have insight into how schools are using federal dollars to help America’s students catch up. So, we ask that you provide us with an estimated date for when you expect the Department of Education to release the data collected through the ESSER Fund Recipient Data Collection Form."
 
In addition to Republican Leader Foxx and Rep. Gallagher, the letter was signed by:
  • Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)
  • Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX)
  • Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI)
  • Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-TX)
  • Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
  • Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX)
  • Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA)
  • Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC)
  • Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX)
  • Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)
  • Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI)
  • Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE)
  • Rep. David Valadao (R-CA)
  • Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA)
  • Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR)
  • Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA)
Click HERE for the full letter.

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