ESSER Funding Plan

Under the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which became law in March 2021, school districts will receive funding to address the impact of COVID-19 on students' academic, social, emotional and mental health needs. This funding is known as "ESSER." "ESSER" is short for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief. ESSER III receives its numerical designation from the fact that the ARP ESSER Fund is the third set of COVID-related federal relief grants for schools that Congress has passed since the pandemic began.

ESSER I and ESSER II were established respectively by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020 and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act in December 2020.

How Much Money Will ESSER III Provide?

ESSER III will provide nearly $122 billion to state educational agencies and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s students.

School District 123 is expected to receive  $4,234,189 in ESSER III funds.

How Will School District 123 Use Its ESSER III Funds?

Our ESSER III funds will be used to address learning loss by implementing new curriculum resources and by providing tutoring resources with a focus on EL and special needs students.  To address the summer enrichment requirement, we will broaden our summer school programs to ensure we are offering an array of programs that are available to all students in our school district with an emphasis on subgroups such as EL and special education students.  To address the after school programs requirement, we are offering after school and before school tutoring services.  We are also renovating the media centers in all six of our school buildings to provide more useful and functional learning spaces for all students both during and after school hours.  

• ESSER III General Allocation = $4,234,189 (20% must address learning loss)
• Proposed Expenditures (80% of allocation = $3,387,351)
• Media center upgrades across all six school buildings ($2,732,609)
• Apple MacBook Computers for Teachers/Staff (166 devices @$1,200 ea.) $199,200
• Imagine Learning (Online ELA instruction subscription) ($65,000)
• Library Books, Other Curriculum, & tutoring services ($390,542) 

Proposed Expenditures (20% of allocation addressing learning loss = $846,838)
New curriculum for English/Language Arts ($700,000) and Social Studies ($280,000) for all students in the district.

ESSER III State Set-Aside Allocation = $316,436 (Targeted Funding)

• Target 1: Additional Learning Loss Funding = $43,397
  • Provide stipends for staff providing EL (English Learner) and math support during their plan time.  6 staff members paid 1/6th of their annual per diem for approximately 100 days of student support.  
• Target 2: After-School Programming = $154,434
  • Staff stipends for after-school or before school tutoring
  • Instructional/Intervention supplies
• Target 3: Summer School Programming = $118,605
  • Teacher stipends for summer school enrichment programming  

We have gained public input via board meeting comments, social media, Facebook Live events, and direct comments to our administration (verbally, via email, or phone contact).  All gathered information will be considered in formalizing our funding plan.