February 16, 2021 12:05PM 

# Federal COVID Education Funding: Update 

By [Neal McCluskey](https://www.cato.org/people/neal-mccluskey) 

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Last week I [published an estimate](https://www.cato.org/blog/federal-covid-education-funding-too-much-inequitable?queryID=12b2fb5c85e3d965a899f52278c47519) of the money that has gone to elementary and secondary schools under the two, major, federal COVID-19 relief measures that have already been enacted, and would go to them under President Biden’s proposed, $1.9 trillion bill. My goal is to identify whether total relief would exceed need and whether funding is being spread equally between public and private schools. I also said this is a *rough* estimate and I would refine and correct it as needed.

Today I have my first refinement: A reader reminded me that charter schools received [about $1.3 billion](https://covidstimuluswatch.org/blog/2020-08/private-and-charter-schools-receive-approximately-57-billion-ppp-loans-raising) in CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program dollars, which I had overlooked. Charter schools are schools of choice, but they are also public schools, so I have added $1.3 billion to the public-school CARES Act column. That moves public school aid per-pupil from $3,920 to $3,945, which eclipses estimated need even more than before. Remember, though, that Paycheck Protection funds have to be repaid if schools do not meet usage requirements.

![Estimate of COVID K12 relief 21620](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/2021-02/COVID%20K12%20Relief%2021620.png?itok=jy8X6gw4) 

##### Related Tags 

[Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom), [COVID-19](https://www.cato.org/covid-19), [General](https://www.cato.org/general) 

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