Three years ago, the federal government set aside $800 million for states to help homeless students.
The deadline to use the money from the American Rescue Plan is Sept. 30.
A little over half of the money so far has made it to school districts around the country, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Barbara Duffield is the executive director of School House Connection. It’s a national group that fights homelessness through education.
She said some states can’t use the money in three years, a relatively short timeline.
“You had a situation where you have short-term funding, going into a system for homeless students that was already underfunded, where there wasn't necessarily the capacity, or the staffing to be able to act quickly,” she said.
Florida has spent almost 60% of its money as of June. The state still has $18.9 million remaining. Last month, the state spent over $1.7 million for homeless student initiatives.
For example, Pinellas County Schools paid for initiatives that put families in sheltered living, and provided more clothing and transportation.
Duffield said Florida is doing better than most states because there are fewer districts to reach. And she added that Florida already has an established homeless education program.
"You have a state like New York or California that has thousands of school districts," Duffield said. "In Florida, being a county-based school system, I think is helpful.”
