See How Much Pandemic Aid Is Going To Renton Schools

RENTON, WA — Washington state schools are set to receive a total of $2.6 billion in federal funding, set aside to help them stay afloat as they struggle to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a new report in The Seattle Times explains, the money is being allocated in three "Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief" — or ESSER — packages, ESSER I, II, and III. ESSER I came as part of the CARES Act, II was built into the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, and, most recently, III was part of the Biden Administration's American Rescue Plan (ARP) act.

Already about 13 percent of the three ESSER funding packages has been spent by local schools, and funding is prioritized for schools with more students living in poverty, the Times reported.

Here's a look at how federal funds have been allocated to your local school district:

The Renton School District is receiving a total of $53,199,128 across all three ESSER packages. So far, the district has claimed $10,874,708 in federal funding.

Renton serves more than 16,000 students at 29 schools, according to statistics from U.S. News, meaning the district will receive more than $3,200 per student.

Washington spent an average of $11,500 per student in 2019, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Seattle Times' analysis found the highest per-student funding went to the Tukwila School District, where 75 percent of students live in poverty and which received $6,649.58 per child. Conversely, Mercer Island, where only 3.5 percent of students are low-income, has been allocated $263.69 per head.

According to the Office of Elementary & Secondary Education, ESSER funding can be used for a variety of needs, including: preparing for, and responding to COVID-19, hiring new staff and avoiding layoffs, and paying off costs accrued since March 13, 2020, when the national emergency was first declared.

The state has not been fully transparent on how each district is using the money, the Times reported, but some, like Seattle Public Schools, have said they are using funding to hire new workers for COVID-19 testing and safety monitoring. Others used money to reopen schools by buying health supplies or improving ventilation to meet the state's COVID safety standards.

>> Read the full breakdown on federal aid funding and Washington schools from The Seattle Times.