The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) is asking the U.S. Department of Education to extend pandemic emergency relief grants for 13 school districts across the state, including four districts in the Cincinnati area.
Ohio says it is looking to have almost $7 million in funding reinstated for projects at Middletown City Schools, Finneytown Local Schools, Mt. Healthy City Schools, and the ReGeneration Avondale Elementary charter school.
Middletown City Schools had the most funding recalled of any school district in Ohio. District leaders announced Thursday that the federal government pulled back $5.6 million in previously promised funding intended for the construction of a new bus garage and maintenance facility. Middletown's superintendent told WVXU the district already had spent more than $1 million in federal money to begin construction on the project, and it couldn't reverse course.
ODEW's request comes shortly after the U.S. Department of Education informed state and local districts it would be immediately ending an extension of COVID-related grant funding offered under the Biden administration.
Earlier this month, Kentucky's Department of Education submitted a similar request to the federal government, asking to reinstate money for projects at several districts in the Commonwealth. Most of Kentucky's requests were denied. The U.S. Department of Education only approved extended funding for two smaller projects at Boone County Schools.
In total, ODEW says it has requested just over $13 million in recalled funding.
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