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Alabama State Superintendent Warns of School Job Losses as Federal COVID Relief Funds Dry Up

Job losses might come from the loss of ESSER funds.

Alabama State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey listens during the Alabama State Board of Education’s regular meeting on February 9, 2023 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

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State Superintendent Eric Mackey said Thursday that job losses could result from the loss of federal funds in the near future.

Mackey made the comments after the State Board of Education approved the department鈥檚 $6.4 billion Education Trust Fund budget request for K-12 schools for fiscal year 2026, which lawmakers will consider when the Alabama Legislature meets for the 2025 regular session in February. Lawmakers will have the final word on how much money is allocated.

Mackey said the request included a $52 million line item for 鈥淪truggling Readers Beyond Grade 3.鈥 The superintendent, who did not give an estimate of jobs affected, told reporters that he thinks the number one use for those funds will be to hire reading interventionists.

鈥淎nd a lot of it鈥檚 actually used, being used as replacement money, because they were hiring reading interventionists with federal funds,鈥 he said. 鈥淔ederal funds have gone away, and so they now want to keep their interventionists using these funds.鈥

Federal funds were provided to school districts and education through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. The funds, known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER), to address needs arising from the pandemic and for ongoing recovery efforts afterward.

Alabama received $3.28 billion in ESSER funds. , 91.55% of the money has been expended. Recipients had until Sept. 30 to commit ESSER funds allocated under ARPA.

Lawmakers

Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, chair of the House education budget committee, said Thursday he could not comment on the budget until he spoke with Mackey about the proposal.

Garrett said that they have talked for years about ESSER funds being temporary.

鈥淪o that鈥檚 been something that鈥檚 not unexpected, and hopefully systems have planned accordingly,鈥 he said.

A message was left with Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, chair of the Senate education budget committee.

Mackey said they have given schools money for assessments and professional development, but there鈥檚 a missing piece with the interventionists, who work with students. Certified academic language therapists (CALT) provide intervention for students with written language disorders, including dyslexia,

鈥淭here are many of those children who have reading difficulties, but they qualify for special education services, so they have another layer of service,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut if they don鈥檛 qualify for special needs, then they don鈥檛 have that extra layer, and that鈥檚 where these CALT therapists come in very handy.鈥

Mackey said he has spoken with several superintendents who have the money to retain their interventionists but will not replace them when they retire. Other superintendents cut all of their interventionist jobs this year, he said.

鈥淪o, we鈥檙e going to see a little bit of both, I think,鈥 he said. 鈥淥ver the next three years, what we鈥檙e going to see is that they鈥檙e going to be fewer employees, basically in the system.鈥

He said they will regain some number of employees back with the Numeracy Act, which aims to set similar goals for math as the Literacy Act does for reading. The superintendent was hopeful schools would get more money for middle grade reading.

鈥淎s time goes they鈥檒l be able to move to other jobs, but there鈥檚 just no way for the state to really sustain all the money, all the federal money we鈥檙e losing,鈥 he said.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com. Follow Alabama Reflector on and .

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