The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reported several school districts that received $200 billion in COVID relief from the federal government used their funds to pay for expenses that seem to have no connection to COVID era needs. The parental rights advocacy group, Parents Defending Education (PDE), was a source for DOGE.
Utah’s Granite Public Schools spent $86,000 for hotel rooms at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. This was done while attending an athletic conference in 2023.
The Whitewater Wisconsin Unified School District (WWUSD) spent $2 million in relief funds on synthetic turf for the reconstruction of their softball, baseball, and football fields.
The following was revealed of WWUSD’s use of funds, according to The Hill:
“When asked why the funds should be used for athletic fields instead of educational projects, Whitewater High School Athletic Director Justin Crandall told the school board that he did not envision the district as one ‘that would go to a referendum for turf fields.’ Rather than put Crandall’s theory to the test, the school board decided instead to bill the American people for the projects.”
In California, the Santa Ana Unified School District spent nearly $400,000 of relief funding to rent out the Anaheim Angels stadium for a 2021 high school graduation ceremony.
Upshur County Schools in West Virginia spent $60,000 in swimming pool passes. Other expenses were directed by certain districts toward ice cream trucks and swimming pools.
Perhaps most irresponsible and wasteful of all the expenses was made by the Douglas County School District in Colorado. The district spent $800,000 on an online learning platform called Edgenuity. This was done as a “no bid emergency procurement.” The platform proved to be problematic for teachers and students using it. After several weeks of utilizing the platform, the district ceased use of Edgenuity. No refund was granted.
The DOGE reported that all of the relief money was spent without any documentation of expense.
The DOGE stated on X a new standard for future grantees:
“There is $4B left and the new @usedgov is setting a simple new rule – all grantees must provide receipts for every purchase BEFORE funding is released.”
