MURRAY, Utah — An email sent by the Murray City School District has caused uproar as parents learned that some summer school programming has been cut for elementary school students.
Families grew concerned about the loss of programs, while some on social media almost immediately placed blame for the cuts on the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, Murray City School District officials told FOX 13 News that isn't true.
"The adjustments we're considering for elementary summer programming are a direct result of the ESSeR funding ending, not a consequence of the DOGE proposals," a school district official wrote.
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds (ESSeR) were made available during the pandemic through the CARES Act. Those funds were only distributed once and expired in September, months before DOGE made their recommendations for spending cuts in education.
"As with many districts, Murray received and allocated them to help mitigate learning loss through expanded Summer School programming," the district explained. "That funding has now ended, and so we will go back to our pre-pandemic operations."
Secondary school summer programs will run with the district pointing to their "credit recovery" program, which they say functions like a traditional summer school. For elementary-aged students, the district encourages families to explore other enrichment opportunities like ones offered by the Murray Boys and Girls Club and other non-profits.
"We were grateful for the federal government's timely support during the pandemic, which allowed us to strategically address the significant challenges our students faced," the district wrote. "We also recognized from the outset that this funding was temporary and have been planning for a return to our standard operational model."
