In addition to being the largest infusions of federal education aid in history, ESSER funds were unique because of the wide latitude they allowed districts in deciding how to spend their awards. We want to celebrate three districts that were especially nuanced in their use of funds for their students!
Lifting a Hiring Freeze in NYC
During the pandemic, New York City was forced to scale back its Universal Literacy Initiative as the City instituted a hiring freeze and the district could not hire enough credentialed reading coaches to keep the program running at full capacity. Budget cuts kept the program from procuring supplies and materials. Some coaches left the program, leaving it even more understaffed. In 2021, the New York City Department of Education received ESSER II and III funding and the City lifted its hiring freeze. The district used some of its ESSER funds to replenish supplies and to hire enough reading coaches to staff the Universal Literacy Initiative.
Improving Graduation Rates in Atlanta
Atlanta Public Schools used its ESSER money to launch a number of initiatives, including Frederick Douglass High School’s Ninth Grade Academy. The high school's graduation rates fall well below the district average. By introducing an innovative program that gives ninth grade students their own learning space to help with the transition from middle to high school, Douglass is hoping these students will experience more success as they progress through sophomore through senior years, and that a positive and focused ninth grade experience will help more of them graduate.
Building Outdoor Classrooms in Maine
Portland Public Schools wanted to offer options for in-person learning as early and as safely as possible. The district quickly planned an initiative to create outdoor classroom spaces at all of its 17 schools, building on an existing program that facilitated outdoor learning projects. The district established 156 outdoor classrooms and created an outdoor learning coordinator position to find ways to incorporate these spaces into curricula and academic activities so they stay an integral part of the schools after ESSER winds down. A number of other districts in CA, VT, DC, and CO also invested in outdoor spaces.
ESSER Recap
Most federal education programs stipulate that states allocate funding for a certain use: to support students living in poverty, for example, like Title I, or those with special needs, like the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). In the case of ESSER funds, these stipulations were remarkably broad.
ESSER III guidelines, for instance, allowed districts to spend 80% of their award on any activity or program that would be covered under Title I or IDEA, and they could also choose to spend ESSER III dollars on career and technical education, facilities and sanitation, mental health resources, or emergency response preparedness. The remaining 20% had to be spent on mitigating learning loss, but even this narrower parameter allowed for a range of options: districts could choose to invest in social/emotional supports or academic interventions, broadly defined. ESSER I and II funds had similarly flexible provisions.
Most districts spent their first ESSER awards on virtual learning tools and personal protective equipment. After putting substantial sums toward crisis mitigation, many districts found a wide variety of ways to support their schools and students with subsequent waves of ESSER funding.
