Christian County Schools Fight To Keep ESSER Funds

While Kentucky school districts are set to lose $34 million in COVID-era ESSER funds, Christian County Schools Superintendent Chris Bentzel said that hope is not lost – yet.

During a Wednesday interview with WHVO’s Hoptown This Morning, Bentzel said there is an appeals process they can take to keep the $8 million in ESSER funds.

Bentzel shared the funds are set to be used for the new Christian County High School being constructed on Ft. Campbell Boulevard.

He added the district has been earning interest money on the $80 million bond taken out for the project, to offset issues like this one.

This comes as recently appointed Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon notified states on March 28 that previously approved extensions to spend COVID relief funds would no longer be honored, impacting districts in all but seven states across the country.

The Courier-Journal added the original deadline to spend down the money was in January, though more than a dozen Kentucky districts were given an extension until March 2026.