U.S. schools face biggest budget crunch in years: NYT

NEW YORK, June 26 (Xinhua) -- After several cash-flush years, school districts across the United States are facing budget shortfalls, with pressure closing in on multiple fronts, reported The New York Times on Wednesday.

"A flow of federal dollars -- 122 billion U.S. dollars meant to help schools recover from the pandemic -- is running dry in September, leaving schools with less money for tutors, summer school and other supports that have funded pandemic recovery efforts over the last three years," said the report.

At the same time, declining student enrollment -- a consequence of lower birthrates and a growing school choice movement -- is catching up to some districts, it noted.

The result is that school districts across the country must make tough decisions about cuts, which could interrupt the recovery of U.S. students, who by and large have not made up their pandemic losses in learning performances, according to the report.

Experts said the cuts are likely to be felt most in low-income and urban school areas -- districts that received larger shares of federal pandemic aid, and that have also been hit hard by declining student enrollment.