Florida finally applies for $2.3 billion in federal COVID school funds. Here's where it's going

WUSF | By Associated Press

Published October 7, 2021 at 5:53 PM EDT

Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran speaks during a bill signing ceremony at St. John the Apostle School in Hialeah in May 2021. Florida is the last state to submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Education that's required before more than $2.3 billion in federal aid for Florida schools can be released. The department sent a letter Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, to Corcoran saying the state has missed the deadline to release the final round of federal relief money for schools.

Florida is proposing to use its remaining $2.3 billion in federal school relief money to boost reading and math achievement, expand vocational education programs and provide free SATs for high school students.

Florida submitted its plan to the U.S. Department of Education late Wednesday.

The 342-page plan was submitted two days after the U.S. Department of Education asked why Florida was the only state in the nation that hadn’t submitted its proposal for the third phase of coronavirus relief money.

The plan was developed using data from statewide assessments taken last spring.

The state education department got the test results in July and then surveyed stakeholders to identify needs.

The federal government withheld one-third of the state's allocation before it received the plan.

Information from News Service of Florida was used in this report.