A look at federal pandemic aid at APS: Where the money goes

Shelby Perea, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·1 min read

Apr. 5—More than $130 million in federal aid has flowed to Albuquerque Public Schools to address challenges brought on by COVID-19, and the district is scheduled to get even more.

The largest school district in New Mexico received about $26 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and roughly $104 million from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Money has been used to offset numerous costs related to the pandemic, including helping getting online schools started, paying for personal protective equipment and upgrading the district's technology.

According to APS Chief Financial Officer Tami Coleman, the CARES Act funding is already largely spent, whereas the district recently earmarked where the CRRSA dollars will go over the course of three school years, starting in the current year.

Meanwhile, APS doesn't yet know how much it will get from the state's $979 million allocation under the latest federal package, the American Rescue Plan, but it's projected to be a big boost.

"I do understand it's going to be larger than the CRRSA fund," Coleman said.

This graphic breaks down some of the big-ticket items paid for with the federal dollars.