INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indiana schools are set to receive nearly $ 3 billion in federal coronavirus aid over the next three years, but districts differ widely in the information they have released about that money and a state online -Tracking system is still being developed.
Lawyers and policy makers say that without clear information from school districts, it is difficult to track spending decisions and spot abuse, Indianapolis-based WFYI-FM reported.
The school districts have a lot of leeway in the use of the aid funds, with possible uses such as paying tutors, social workers, longer school days or building repairs.
Federal law requires school districts to submit spending plans to the state, and the Indiana Department of Education is reviewing those applications to ensure the plans are in line with guidelines, agency spokeswoman Holly Lawson said.
But the state did not publicly publish the applications received. Lawson said the department plans to release a dashboard soon with some district-level information on federal funding.
“We want to make this as user friendly as possible so that someone can jump in and see the local spending of each (federal) round,” she said.
