Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) has relied on pandemic relief funding provided by the federal government to help our students recover from the significant and lasting effects of the COVID pandemic. Although our detailed spending plans were approved and adhered to all guidelines, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) recently decided to end the availability of these funds, reneging on their commitment to support students’ ongoing post-pandemic needs.
This abrupt decision significantly impacts school districts nationwide, including City Schools, where we must now make sudden, unwelcome, and painful choices for our schools and students. City Schools will not receive approximately $48 million in reimbursement for funds already spent or contractually committed.
The impact of that shortfall negatively impacts many critical City Schools programs. Examples include:
Pandemic recovery-funded tutoring and after-school programs will cease. The last day of tutoring programs will be Tuesday, April 8. The last day for after-school programming at 44 sites and one virtual program will be Friday, April 11. Impacted schools and families will be contacted directly, and a list of impacted programs will be made available in the near future.
We will pause our efforts to upgrade door locking systems at our secondary schools due to a lack of funding.
We will provide vendors impacted by this decision with direct communication in the coming days.
We will work to identify other programming or projects that can be cut to cover the $48 million gap created by the federal administration’s decision.
As we prepare for the Board’s review of our 2026 fiscal year budget, we carefully assess how to navigate this change to minimize its impact on students, staff, and schools.
We recognize that unexpected changes like these can cause disappointment, frustration, and anger, and we share in your concern about the uncertainty this creates. Please know that we will keep you informed as we work together to serve our students with dedication and care.
Thank you for your continued partnership and resilience—we are truly in this together.
View the complete list of after-school and tutoring programs affected by the USDE's decision.