Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Flooded Into Newark Schools From Covid. Where It All Landed Is Not So Clear

When the federal government allotted $190 billion to school districts throughout the nation in an attempt to address learning loss caused by Covid-19, Newark Public Schools was a big beneficiary of what are called ESSER funds, or Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief.

Some of that spending has raised the ire of elected officials in New Jersey–most recently a $50,000 “Superintendent Fun Day” that paid for staff and their families to party at an upscale suburban wedding venue. “The type of outing they do is often found in the private sector,” said Marc Pfeiffer, senior policy fellow at Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, told TapInto Newark last month.

NJ Education Report, July 31, 2024