Cardona praised "positive results" in student achievement, arguing that the "historic investments and resources" provided by President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan would "reverse the damage."
However, in many school districts, a large portion of those funds did not go to more tutoring or new school materials, but instead funded bonuses for teachers and administrators.
For example, the Wake County Public School System in North Carolina spent 78.5 percent of its total pandemic relief funding on salaries and employee benefits, while Chicago Public Schools spent 77 percent of its pandemic money on staff bonuses, salaries, and benefits.
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In Tennessee, the state's comptroller found that a district funneled nearly $28,000 to one administrator alone. The use of emergency COVID funds to pay for staff bonuses reflects the stark divide between Republicans and Democrats on education policy.
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Democrats generally balk at school choice, shooting down taxpayer funding for charter schools in favor of additional public school spending.
For Republicans, that spending is already at an all-time high with little to show for it and showcases the need to pursue alternative options rather than funneling more money to powerful teachers' unions working to pay out their members.
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Biden's American Rescue Plan sent tens of billions of dollars to K-12 schools, money the administration said would support efforts to "reopen K-12 schools safely" and "equitably expand opportunities for students who need it most." Two-thirds of the money, however, was disbursed almost immediately and thus went to schools before the administration could approve their plans on what to do with the money.
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The remaining third went to schools after each state submitted plans meant to ensure the funding would be used responsibly. None of those spending plans mentioned teacher salary or bonuses, and the Biden administration said federal COVID funds should not go to "bonuses, merit pay, or similar expenditures, unless related to disruptions or closures resulting from COVID-19."
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The National Assessment of Education Progress report reports how 13-year-olds scored on a federal standardized test that focuses on basic reading and arithmetic. Students scores are the lowest seen since 2004 for reading and 1990 for math.
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Well-funded school districts are not immune to those struggles. Baltimore's public schools rank among the worst in the state despite being one of the highest-funded in the country.
The city spends close to $20,000 per student, yet 93 percent and 79 percent of its students are not proficient in math and reading, respectively, according to a report released by the state’s education department earlier this year.
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Taxpayers launched a lawsuit in January 2022 alleging the district falsely inflated its student enrollment to receive more funds and falsified student records to move failing students through the system.
Despite these challenges, Cardona remains optimistic about the future of education in America.
"The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress is further evidence of what the Biden-Harris administration recognized from Day One: that the pandemic would have a devastating impact on students’ learning across the country and that it would take years of effort and investment to reverse the damage as well as address the 11-year decline that preceded it," he said in a statement.
"While this latest data reminds us how far we still need to go, I'm encouraged that the historic investments and resources provided by the American Rescue Plan and the Department of Education are beginning to show positive results."
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