evidence: (Updated 5/11/23) School districts and charter organizations can request an extra 14 months to spend down the second round of federal Covid-relief aid, but must still obligate the money to a contract or project by the September 2023 deadline, according to the latest U.S. Department of Education guidance. [...] A decision will come "at a later date" on extending deadlines for spending the $54 billion in ESSER funds allotted in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and the $122 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP), the guidance states. In the meantime, the department encourages states and districts to spend "with urgency on activities that will support students’ academic recovery and mental health needs." [...] The December Covid relief deal was far smaller than the $2.2 trillion Democratic leaders had been seeking for much of the Fall but higher than the $500 billion that Senate Republicans favored. The measure left some education leaders disappointed. American Council of Education President Ted Mitchell released a statement calling the funding for higher education "wholly inadequate." Alliance for Excellent Education President and CEO Deborah S. Delisle praised the overall effort but faulted Congressional leaders for failing to include $3 billion for the E-Rate program, money that had appeared in previous relief proposals. School choice advocates found little of the support for private schools contained in Republican-backed bills.