The Federal Emergency Relief Act is signed into law to retain teachers during the Great Depression and lessen the impacts of economic turmoil on education programs.

The Lanham Act of 1940 is amended to include federal aid for overcrowded schools providing education to students within defense zones during World War II, ultimately leading to the creation of the Impact Aid Program in 1950.

The National Defense Education Act of 1958 is passed—originally as short-term emergency legislation to address the Sputnik crisis—to provide funding for science, math, and foreign language education, as well as testing and counseling for gifted students.

The Emergency School Aid Act of 1972 is passed to strengthen school integration through grants and incentives for local education agencies and nonprofit organizations.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act becomes law to provide recovery grants to educational institutions affected by natural disasters and declared emergencies.

The Hurricane Education Recovery Act is passed to support school reopening, academic recovery, and support for displaced students and students with disabilities in the Gulf Coast after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is passed in response to the Great Recession to restore K-12 funding to prerecession levels as the economic downturn leads to deep declines in K-12 expenditures.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 support the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund to help schools affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.