Gov. Stitt Allocates Remaining COVID-19 Relief Fund Towards Education

Governor Kevin Stitt has allocated the remaining GEER II funds, or COVID-19 relief funds to be spent on education purposes. Stitt has allocated almost $18 million to be spent on six different projects, helping students recover from the pandemic. 

The GEER funds were allocated to governors across the nation, to spend on education proposals of their choosing. 

After hundreds of thousands of GEER funds were flagged in a federal audit, the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services has been tasked with overseeing the allocation of these most recent funds. They have also hired an outside contractor for the oversight and administration of the funds. The recipients have until January 31 to spend the allocated funds.  

Here is the full breakdown of costs and projects provided by OMES: 

1: eDynamic / Learning Blade: $400,000.00 This project will help develop Oklahoma students’ academic skills while improving their interest in high-demand jobs by increasing their awareness of careers. These systems are proven to increase student awareness and interest in STEM, computer science, and CTE pathways while also addressing learning loss. The Learning Blade resource prioritizes students who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 by providing easy access to STEM, CS, and CTE resources that can be used in school, blended or at home

2: DonorsChoose: $11,610,000.00 This project will allow preK-12 Oklahoma public school teachers to request classroom resources to support their students' in-person learning recovery from the pandemic.

3: Special Care: $600,000.00 This project is focused on supporting teachers and support staff who served a greatly underserved Oklahoma population during the pandemic – children with special needs and their families. Through this program, Special Care will receive funding for salaries of new positions and retention bonuses for eligible teachers and support staff that are working to support special needs children

4: Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County $1,880,000.00 This project for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County is focused on helping students around the Capitol Hill/south OKC location who were negatively impacted by the effects of COVID-19. This program will support them through physical building enhancements to host engaging programs, such as academic enrichment/tutoring, STEM activities, recreational and competitive sports, programs in the arts (dance, visual arts, music, and drama), life skill development, special interest clubs (i.e. photography, chess, creative writing, etc.), workforce development and more

5: Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County $200,000.00 This "Club-on-the-Go" Mobile Clubhouses project with the Boys and Girls Club of OK County is focused on supporting students who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and will bring the Boys and Girls Club student development efforts to kids beyond BGC physical locations and meet kids where they are.

6: Healthy Schools Oklahoma $2,500,000.00 This project is focused on providing health and wellness resources to elementary schools across the State of Oklahoma. This project will help address educational gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic by including evidence-based learning and wellness strategies for schools.

7: Guidehouse $250,000.00 Assisting in oversight and administration of GEER II

8. $272,950 for other administrative costs.