Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) allocation and expenditures by district in Connecticut
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This page includes information and data on federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding in STATE. ESSER was a series of grants totaling roughly $190 billion that Congress sent to K-12 public schools during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. All 50 states closed schools to in-person instruction at some point during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Congress included the funding in three separate spending packages between 2020 and 2021. In an April 23, 2020, letter sent to state education commissioners, then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wrote: "The ESSER Fund provides you, and your local educational agencies, with emergency relief funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools."[1]
On this page, you will find data on the funding Congress allocated to Connecticut school districts through the three ESSER grants (I, II, and III). Data is made available by Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab.[2] Navigate the page using the following links:
- Background
- ESSER I
- ESSER II
- ESSER III
- See ESSER allocations to other states
- ESSER history and context
Background
At the time, the $190 billion was the largest injection of federal funding into the education system in a one-year period.[3] The first of the three ESSER packages was created in March 27, 2020, when President Donald Trump (R) signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, releasing $13.2 billion to schools. Trump signed the second ESSER package, providing roughly $54 billion through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, into law on December 27, 2020. President Joe Biden (D) signed the final ESSER package on March 11, 2021, apportioning $122 billion to schools through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. Each of the three ESSER packages came with their own spending deadlines. Districts had until January 2025 to spend the last round of the funding, known as ESSER III.[4]
Congress placed few conditions on the grants, largely relying on districts to make their own spending decisions.[5] The exception to this was that Congress required districts to spend 20% of their ESSER III funds addressing “the academic impact of lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions.”[6] Districts spent the funding in a variety of ways, including on afterschool programming, tutoring, professional development for teachers, mobile hotspots and other technologies, upgrading heating and air conditioning systems, and building new schools.[7]
Districts also reported using the funding to hire school psychologists, new teachers, custodians, and math specialists.[7] Some districts reported hiring contractors out of a concern about paying for permanent positions after the ESSER funding expired.[7] An August 2023 School Superintendents Association (AASA) survey found that 53% of respondents said they would need to cut support staff in response to the expiration of ESSER funding.[8] A 2024 survey of district leaders by the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that 53% of district leaders "expect a fiscal cliff in their district’s spending when ESSER concludes."[9]
ESSER I
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER I funding allocated to each district in Connecticut.
| Connecticut ESSER I allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER I Allocation |
| Achievement First Bridgeport Academy District | $445,411.00 |
| Achievement First Hartford Academy District | $673,379.00 |
| Amistad Academy District | $448,192.00 |
| Andover School District | $13,457.00 |
| Ansonia School District | $792,378.00 |
| Ashford School District | $51,868.00 |
| Avon School District | $83,463.00 |
| Barkhamsted School District | $6,893.00 |
| Berlin School District | $144,775.00 |
| Bethany School District | $29,321.00 |
| Bethel School District | $236,455.00 |
| Bloomfield School District | $393,344.00 |
| Bolton School District | $17,146.00 |
| Booker T. Washington Academy District | $128,907.00 |
| Bozrah School District | $22,702.00 |
| Branford School District | $303,771.00 |
| Brass City Charter School District | $78,013.00 |
| Bridgeport School District | $9,150,485.00 |
| Bristol School District | $1,821,165.00 |
| Brookfield School District | $74,096.00 |
| Brooklyn School District | $179,999.00 |
| Canterbury School District | $84,775.00 |
| Canton School District | $39,010.00 |
| Capital Preparatory Harbor School District | $200,685.00 |
| Chaplin School District | $22,693.00 |
| Cheshire School District | $99,144.00 |
| Chester School District | $23,407.00 |
| Clinton School District | $166,618.00 |
| Colchester School District | $211,529.00 |
| Colebrook School District | $7,013.00 |
| Columbia School District | $22,991.00 |
| Common Ground High School District | $69,643.00 |
| Cornwall School District | $22,811.00 |
| Coventry School District | $117,663.00 |
| Cromwell School District | $148,733.00 |
| Danbury School District | $2,286,030.00 |
| Darien School District | $134,611.00 |
| Deep River School District | $27,888.00 |
| Derby School District | $378,589.00 |
| East Granby School District | $53,231.00 |
| East Haddam School District | $30,896.00 |
| East Hampton School District | $42,940.00 |
| East Hartford School District | $2,122,495.00 |
| East Haven School District | $640,899.00 |
| East Lyme School District | $171,660.00 |
| East Windsor School District | $160,783.00 |
| Eastford School District | $8,948.00 |
| Easton School District | $27,572.00 |
| Ellington School District | $51,396.00 |
| Elm City College Preparatory School District | $316,138.00 |
| Elm City Montessori School District | $33,624.00 |
| Enfield School District | $729,380.00 |
| Essex School District | $14,016.00 |
| Explorations District | $10,600.00 |
| Fairfield School District | $286,796.00 |
| Farmington School District | $229,979.00 |
| Franklin School District | $13,345.00 |
| Glastonbury School District | $152,314.00 |
| Granby School District | $47,222.00 |
| Great Oaks Charter School District | $197,435.00 |
| Greenwich School District | $854,526.00 |
| Griswold School District | $261,461.00 |
| Groton School District | $686,882.00 |
| Guilford School District | $117,914.00 |
| Hamden School District | $987,239.00 |
| Hampton School District | $13,195.00 |
| Hartford School District | $10,314,679.00 |
| Hartland School District | $22,603.00 |
| Hebron School District | $12,368.00 |
| Highville Charter School District | $119,308.00 |
| Integrated Day Charter School District | $57,571.00 |
| Interdistrict School for Arts and Comm District | $130,506.00 |
| Jumoke Academy District | $269,315.00 |
| Kent School District | $17,713.00 |
| Killingly School District | $382,737.00 |
| Lebanon School District | $47,573.00 |
| Ledyard School District | $207,514.00 |
| Lisbon School District | $50,186.00 |
| Litchfield School District | $75,920.00 |
| Madison School District | $77,770.00 |
| Manchester School District | $1,540,381.00 |
| Mansfield School District | $90,364.00 |
| Marlborough School District | $14,850.00 |
| Meriden School District | $2,385,510.00 |
| Middletown School District | $722,848.00 |
| Milford School District | $529,475.00 |
| Monroe School District | $115,515.00 |
| Montville School District | $269,037.00 |
| Naugatuck School District | $839,634.00 |
| New Beginnings Inc Family Academy District | $187,061.00 |
| New Britain School District | $5,165,707.00 |
| New Canaan School District | $99,710.00 |
| New Fairfield School District | $201,385.00 |
| New Hartford School District | $13,344.00 |
| New Haven School District | $8,506,997.00 |
| New London School District | $1,903,788.00 |
| New Milford School District | $300,856.00 |
| Newington School District | $315,040.00 |
| Newtown School District | $141,090.00 |
| Norfolk School District | $2,524.00 |
| North Branford School District | $64,976.00 |
| North Canaan School District | $33,725.00 |
| North Haven School District | $213,713.00 |
| North Stonington School District | $37,473.00 |
| Norwalk School District | $2,084,380.00 |
| Norwich School District | $1,920,228.00 |
| Odyssey Community School District | $42,517.00 |
| Old Saybrook School District | $101,399.00 |
| Orange School District | $37,003.00 |
| Oxford School District | $76,746.00 |
| Park City Prep Charter School District | $151,006.00 |
| Plainfield School District | $347,996.00 |
| Plainville School District | $362,176.00 |
| Plymouth School District | $158,692.00 |
| Pomfret School District | $19,757.00 |
| Portland School District | $70,382.00 |
| Preston School District | $63,532.00 |
| Putnam School District | $255,949.00 |
| Redding School District | $27,805.00 |
| Regional School District 01 | $39,407.00 |
| Regional School District 04 | $24,567.00 |
| Regional School District 05 | $55,040.00 |
| Regional School District 06 | $28,046.00 |
| Regional School District 07 | $24,123.00 |
| Regional School District 08 | $28,641.00 |
| Regional School District 09 | $19,151.00 |
| Regional School District 10 | $74,535.00 |
| Regional School District 11 | $34,748.00 |
| Regional School District 12 | $24,013.00 |
| Regional School District 13 | $43,915.00 |
| Regional School District 14 | $55,327.00 |
| Regional School District 15 | $118,590.00 |
| Regional School District 16 | $75,031.00 |
| Regional School District 17 | $45,545.00 |
| Regional School District 18 | $41,197.00 |
| Regional School District 19 | $88,775.00 |
| Ridgefield School District | $94,454.00 |
| Rocky Hill School District | $194,570.00 |
| Salem School District | $25,219.00 |
| Salisbury School District | $3,712.00 |
| Scotland School District | $13,154.00 |
| Seymour School District | $229,844.00 |
| Sharon School District | $47,086.00 |
| Shelton School District | $409,587.00 |
| Sherman School District | $16,846.00 |
| Side By Side Charter School District | $45,700.00 |
| Simsbury School District | $97,059.00 |
| Somers School District | $38,879.00 |
| South Windsor School District | $122,146.00 |
| Southington School District | $418,982.00 |
| Sprague School District | $74,765.00 |
| Stafford School District | $187,342.00 |
| Stamford Charter School for Excellence District | $46,580.00 |
| Stamford School District | $2,739,520.00 |
| Sterling School District | $58,407.00 |
| Stonington School District | $280,435.00 |
| Stratford School District | $990,218.00 |
| Suffield School District | $270,425.00 |
| The Bridge Academy District | $102,537.00 |
| Thomaston School District | $80,233.00 |
| Thompson School District | $132,957.00 |
| Tolland School District | $45,904.00 |
| Torrington School District | $660,682.00 |
| Trumbull School District | $158,757.00 |
| Union School District | $7,279.00 |
| Vernon School District | $457,965.00 |
| Voluntown School District | $32,674.00 |
| Wallingford School District | $469,972.00 |
| Waterbury School District | $9,394,519.00 |
| Waterford School District | $261,815.00 |
| Watertown School District | $197,225.00 |
| West Hartford School District | $902,078.00 |
| West Haven School District | $2,034,327.00 |
| Westbrook School District | $64,503.00 |
| Weston School District | $51,548.00 |
| Westport School District | $141,129.00 |
| Wethersfield School District | $274,045.00 |
| Willington School District | $60,567.00 |
| Wilton School District | $77,995.00 |
| Winchester School District | $191,756.00 |
| Windham School District | $1,499,668.00 |
| Windsor Locks School District | $228,358.00 |
| Windsor School District | $476,801.00 |
| Wolcott School District | $198,698.00 |
| Woodbridge School District | $45,593.00 |
| Woodstock School District | $133,782.00 |
ESSER II
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER II funding allocated to each district in Connecticut.
| Connecticut ESSER II allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER II Allocation |
| Achievement First Bridgeport Academy District | $2,298,316.00 |
| Achievement First Hartford Academy District | $3,102,743.00 |
| Amistad Academy District | $1,987,289.00 |
| Andover School District | |
| Ansonia School District | $3,221,082.00 |
| Ashford School District | $201,742.00 |
| Avon School District | $332,884.00 |
| Barkhamsted School District | $27,238.00 |
| Berlin School District | $356,382.00 |
| Bethany School District | $191,251.00 |
| Bethel School District | $1,198,139.00 |
| Bloomfield School District | $1,538,761.00 |
| Bolton School District | $75,425.00 |
| Booker T. Washington Academy District | $631,094.00 |
| Bozrah School District | $95,604.00 |
| Branford School District | $1,531,209.00 |
| Brass City Charter School District | $387,192.00 |
| Bridgeport School District | $44,640,438.00 |
| Bristol School District | $8,111,092.00 |
| Brookfield School District | $368,667.00 |
| Brooklyn School District | $627,570.00 |
| Canterbury School District | $337,307.00 |
| Canton School District | $173,223.00 |
| Capital Preparatory Harbor School District | $1,340,489.00 |
| Chaplin School District | $90,330.00 |
| Cheshire School District | $399,911.00 |
| Chester School District | $87,759.00 |
| Clinton School District | $772,944.00 |
| Colchester School District | $1,015,108.00 |
| Colebrook School District | |
| Columbia School District | $87,196.00 |
| Common Ground High School District | $347,319.00 |
| Cornwall School District | $8,549.00 |
| Coventry School District | $251,808.00 |
| Cromwell School District | $586,111.00 |
| Danbury School District | $11,168,494.00 |
| Darien School District | $456,479.00 |
| Deep River School District | $110,969.00 |
| Derby School District | $1,764,120.00 |
| East Granby School District | $242,408.00 |
| East Haddam School District | $123,883.00 |
| East Hampton School District | $215,197.00 |
| East Hartford School District | $9,317,851.00 |
| East Haven School District | $2,984,231.00 |
| East Lyme School District | $772,913.00 |
| East Windsor School District | $870,878.00 |
| Eastford School District | |
| Easton School District | $123,338.00 |
| Ellington School District | $178,319.00 |
| Elm City College Preparatory School District | $1,380,677.00 |
| Elm City Montessori School District | $151,352.00 |
| Enfield School District | $3,215,095.00 |
| Essex School District | $57,476.00 |
| Explorations District | $69,637.00 |
| Fairfield School District | $1,282,047.00 |
| Farmington School District | $1,076,028.00 |
| Franklin School District | $70,586.00 |
| Glastonbury School District | $624,379.00 |
| Granby School District | $230,159.00 |
| Great Oaks Charter School District | $1,113,925.00 |
| Greenwich School District | $4,268,046.00 |
| Griswold School District | $1,108,908.00 |
| Groton School District | $2,924,605.00 |
| Guilford School District | $432,694.00 |
| Hamden School District | $4,259,307.00 |
| Hampton School District | $50,962.00 |
| Hartford School District | $43,867,628.00 |
| Hartland School District | $100,931.00 |
| Hebron School District | $62,493.00 |
| Highville Charter School District | $490,316.00 |
| Integrated Day Charter School District | $237,595.00 |
| Interdistrict School for Arts and Comm District | $500,798.00 |
| Jumoke Academy District | $1,235,335.00 |
| Kent School District | $74,832.00 |
| Killingly School District | $1,448,896.00 |
| Lebanon School District | $347,039.00 |
| Ledyard School District | $825,603.00 |
| Lisbon School District | $190,520.00 |
| Litchfield School District | $145,701.00 |
| Madison School District | $379,077.00 |
| Manchester School District | $6,888,207.00 |
| Mansfield School District | $336,075.00 |
| Marlborough School District | $58,833.00 |
| Meriden School District | $10,251,329.00 |
| Middletown School District | $3,310,348.00 |
| Milford School District | $2,181,515.00 |
| Monroe School District | $491,163.00 |
| Montville School District | $1,098,923.00 |
| Naugatuck School District | $3,557,804.00 |
| New Beginnings Inc Family Academy District | $881,036.00 |
| New Britain School District | $22,251,528.00 |
| New Canaan School District | $472,554.00 |
| New Fairfield School District | $1,121,818.00 |
| New Hartford School District | $53,124.00 |
| New Haven School District | $35,603,796.00 |
| New London School District | $7,386,301.00 |
| New Milford School District | $1,151,649.00 |
| Newington School District | $1,381,763.00 |
| Newtown School District | $557,849.00 |
| Norfolk School District | $8,607.00 |
| North Branford School District | $275,222.00 |
| North Canaan School District | $169,358.00 |
| North Haven School District | $908,580.00 |
| North Stonington School District | $189,931.00 |
| Norwalk School District | $11,047,744.00 |
| Norwich School District | $7,328,004.00 |
| Odyssey Community School District | $199,925.00 |
| Old Saybrook School District | $395,271.00 |
| Orange School District | $145,134.00 |
| Oxford School District | $259,830.00 |
| Park City Prep Charter School District | $744,447.00 |
| Plainfield School District | $1,445,852.00 |
| Plainville School District | $1,544,726.00 |
| Plymouth School District | $605,783.00 |
| Pomfret School District | $72,966.00 |
| Portland School District | $362,546.00 |
| Preston School District | $262,666.00 |
| Putnam School District | $1,178,071.00 |
| Redding School District | $136,022.00 |
| Regional School District 01 | $158,509.00 |
| Regional School District 04 | $119,199.00 |
| Regional School District 05 | $241,415.00 |
| Regional School District 06 | $109,356.00 |
| Regional School District 07 | $94,899.00 |
| Regional School District 08 | $119,239.00 |
| Regional School District 09 | $85,632.00 |
| Regional School District 10 | $297,257.00 |
| Regional School District 11 | $145,129.00 |
| Regional School District 12 | $105,398.00 |
| Regional School District 13 | $199,942.00 |
| Regional School District 14 | $229,117.00 |
| Regional School District 15 | $502,393.00 |
| Regional School District 16 | $317,187.00 |
| Regional School District 17 | $200,718.00 |
| Regional School District 18 | $289,922.00 |
| Regional School District 19 | $371,818.00 |
| Ridgefield School District | $437,591.00 |
| Rocky Hill School District | $412,874.00 |
| Salem School District | $85,379.00 |
| Salisbury School District | $22,110.00 |
| Scotland School District | $59,896.00 |
| Seymour School District | $969,380.00 |
| Sharon School District | $222,314.00 |
| Shelton School District | $2,004,445.00 |
| Sherman School District | $75,279.00 |
| Side By Side Charter School District | $215,374.00 |
| Simsbury School District | $430,323.00 |
| Somers School District | $161,647.00 |
| South Windsor School District | $562,196.00 |
| Southington School District | $1,820,222.00 |
| Sprague School District | $320,417.00 |
| Stafford School District | $730,673.00 |
| Stamford Charter School for Excellence District | $259,449.00 |
| Stamford School District | $14,547,611.00 |
| Sterling School District | $255,633.00 |
| Stonington School District | $1,150,979.00 |
| Stratford School District | $6,065,675.00 |
| Suffield School District | $614,607.00 |
| The Bridge Academy District | $494,988.00 |
| Thomaston School District | $315,618.00 |
| Thompson School District | $487,192.00 |
| Tolland School District | $198,329.00 |
| Torrington School District | $2,651,786.00 |
| Trumbull School District | $765,715.00 |
| Union School District | |
| Vernon School District | $1,938,583.00 |
| Voluntown School District | $136,204.00 |
| Wallingford School District | $2,027,836.00 |
| Waterbury School District | $39,908,232.00 |
| Waterford School District | $1,058,465.00 |
| Watertown School District | $808,722.00 |
| West Hartford School District | $4,321,507.00 |
| West Haven School District | $8,666,078.00 |
| Westbrook School District | $311,204.00 |
| Weston School District | $232,437.00 |
| Westport School District | $691,788.00 |
| Wethersfield School District | $1,145,027.00 |
| Willington School District | $257,078.00 |
| Wilton School District | $371,193.00 |
| Winchester School District | $716,260.00 |
| Windham School District | $6,103,851.00 |
| Windsor Locks School District | $1,026,591.00 |
| Windsor School District | $2,121,339.00 |
| Wolcott School District | $796,627.00 |
| Woodbridge School District | $205,549.00 |
| Woodstock School District | $582,060.00 |
ESSER III
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER III funding allocated to each district in Connecticut.
| Connecticut ESSER III allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER III Allocation |
| Achievement First Bridgeport Academy District | $5,165,319.00 |
| Achievement First Hartford Academy District | $6,973,214.00 |
| Amistad Academy District | $4,466,308.00 |
| Andover School District | |
| Ansonia School District | $7,239,174.00 |
| Ashford School District | $453,397.00 |
| Avon School District | $748,132.00 |
| Barkhamsted School District | $61,217.00 |
| Berlin School District | $800,942.00 |
| Bethany School District | $429,825.00 |
| Bethel School District | $2,692,734.00 |
| Bloomfield School District | $3,458,270.00 |
| Bolton School District | $169,510.00 |
| Booker T. Washington Academy District | $1,418,340.00 |
| Bozrah School District | $214,864.00 |
| Branford School District | $3,441,293.00 |
| Brass City Charter School District | $870,191.00 |
| Bridgeport School District | $100,326,498.00 |
| Bristol School District | $18,229,153.00 |
| Brookfield School District | $828,557.00 |
| Brooklyn School District | $1,410,428.00 |
| Canterbury School District | $758,073.00 |
| Canton School District | $389,307.00 |
| Capital Preparatory Harbor School District | $3,012,665.00 |
| Chaplin School District | $203,014.00 |
| Cheshire School District | $898,778.00 |
| Chester School District | $197,228.00 |
| Clinton School District | $1,737,141.00 |
| Colchester School District | $2,281,390.00 |
| Colebrook School District | |
| Columbia School District | $195,970.00 |
| Common Ground High School District | $780,574.00 |
| Cornwall School District | $19,215.00 |
| Coventry School District | $565,920.00 |
| Cromwell School District | $1,317,249.00 |
| Danbury School District | $25,100,466.00 |
| Darien School District | $1,025,905.00 |
| Deep River School District | $249,395.00 |
| Derby School District | $3,964,748.00 |
| East Granby School District | $544,796.00 |
| East Haddam School District | $278,416.00 |
| East Hampton School District | $483,639.00 |
| East Hartford School District | $20,941,266.00 |
| East Haven School District | $6,706,871.00 |
| East Lyme School District | $1,737,074.00 |
| East Windsor School District | $1,957,245.00 |
| Eastford School District | |
| Easton School District | $277,196.00 |
| Ellington School District | $400,759.00 |
| Elm City College Preparatory School District | $3,102,978.00 |
| Elm City Montessori School District | $340,149.00 |
| Enfield School District | $7,225,723.00 |
| Essex School District | $129,170.00 |
| Explorations District | $156,507.00 |
| Fairfield School District | $2,881,317.00 |
| Farmington School District | $2,418,308.00 |
| Franklin School District | $158,633.00 |
| Glastonbury School District | $1,403,257.00 |
| Granby School District | $517,264.00 |
| Great Oaks Charter School District | $2,503,471.00 |
| Greenwich School District | $9,592,155.00 |
| Griswold School District | $2,492,197.00 |
| Groton School District | $6,572,859.00 |
| Guilford School District | $972,451.00 |
| Hamden School District | $9,572,522.00 |
| Hampton School District | $114,528.00 |
| Hartford School District | $98,589,663.00 |
| Hartland School District | $226,833.00 |
| Hebron School District | $140,451.00 |
| Highville Charter School District | $1,101,957.00 |
| Integrated Day Charter School District | $533,979.00 |
| Interdistrict School for Arts and Comm District | $1,125,507.00 |
| Jumoke Academy District | $2,776,333.00 |
| Kent School District | $168,177.00 |
| Killingly School District | $3,256,304.00 |
| Lebanon School District | $779,953.00 |
| Ledyard School District | $1,855,487.00 |
| Lisbon School District | $428,186.00 |
| Litchfield School District | $327,454.00 |
| Madison School District | $851,949.00 |
| Manchester School District | $15,480,800.00 |
| Mansfield School District | $755,311.00 |
| Marlborough School District | $132,225.00 |
| Meriden School District | $23,039,202.00 |
| Middletown School District | $7,439,793.00 |
| Milford School District | $4,902,817.00 |
| Monroe School District | $1,103,859.00 |
| Montville School District | $2,469,755.00 |
| Naugatuck School District | $7,995,937.00 |
| New Beginnings Inc Family Academy District | $1,980,069.00 |
| New Britain School District | $50,008,875.00 |
| New Canaan School District | $1,062,030.00 |
| New Fairfield School District | $2,521,211.00 |
| New Hartford School District | $119,394.00 |
| New Haven School District | $80,017,233.00 |
| New London School District | $16,600,237.00 |
| New Milford School District | $2,588,252.00 |
| Newington School District | $3,105,426.00 |
| Newtown School District | $1,253,726.00 |
| Norfolk School District | $19,343.00 |
| North Branford School District | $618,543.00 |
| North Canaan School District | $380,624.00 |
| North Haven School District | $2,041,974.00 |
| North Stonington School District | $426,861.00 |
| Norwalk School District | $24,829,093.00 |
| Norwich School District | $16,469,218.00 |
| Odyssey Community School District | $449,318.00 |
| Old Saybrook School District | $888,344.00 |
| Orange School District | $326,181.00 |
| Oxford School District | $583,953.00 |
| Park City Prep Charter School District | $1,673,095.00 |
| Plainfield School District | $3,249,462.00 |
| Plainville School District | $3,471,677.00 |
| Plymouth School District | $1,361,458.00 |
| Pomfret School District | $163,985.00 |
| Portland School District | $814,798.00 |
| Preston School District | $590,330.00 |
| Putnam School District | $2,647,634.00 |
| Redding School District | $305,701.00 |
| Regional School District 01 | $356,236.00 |
| Regional School District 04 | $267,891.00 |
| Regional School District 05 | $542,565.00 |
| Regional School District 06 | $245,772.00 |
| Regional School District 07 | $213,277.00 |
| Regional School District 08 | $267,981.00 |
| Regional School District 09 | $192,452.00 |
| Regional School District 10 | $668,067.00 |
| Regional School District 11 | $326,174.00 |
| Regional School District 12 | $236,871.00 |
| Regional School District 13 | $449,356.00 |
| Regional School District 14 | $514,929.00 |
| Regional School District 15 | $1,129,100.00 |
| Regional School District 16 | $712,860.00 |
| Regional School District 17 | $451,100.00 |
| Regional School District 18 | $651,577.00 |
| Regional School District 19 | $835,638.00 |
| Ridgefield School District | $983,462.00 |
| Rocky Hill School District | $927,905.00 |
| Salem School District | $191,884.00 |
| Salisbury School District | $49,697.00 |
| Scotland School District | $134,612.00 |
| Seymour School District | $2,178,622.00 |
| Sharon School District | $499,636.00 |
| Shelton School District | $4,504,858.00 |
| Sherman School District | $169,187.00 |
| Side By Side Charter School District | $484,043.00 |
| Simsbury School District | $967,121.00 |
| Somers School District | $363,295.00 |
| South Windsor School District | $1,263,502.00 |
| Southington School District | $4,090,834.00 |
| Sprague School District | $720,114.00 |
| Stafford School District | $1,642,135.00 |
| Stamford Charter School for Excellence District | $583,092.00 |
| Stamford School District | $32,694,812.00 |
| Sterling School District | $574,520.00 |
| Stonington School District | $2,586,747.00 |
| Stratford School District | $13,632,215.00 |
| Suffield School District | $1,381,294.00 |
| The Bridge Academy District | $1,112,453.00 |
| Thomaston School District | $709,328.00 |
| Thompson School District | $1,094,936.00 |
| Tolland School District | $445,732.00 |
| Torrington School District | $5,959,720.00 |
| Trumbull School District | $1,720,898.00 |
| Union School District | |
| Vernon School District | $4,356,839.00 |
| Voluntown School District | $306,105.00 |
| Wallingford School District | $4,557,436.00 |
| Waterbury School District | $89,691,176.00 |
| Waterford School District | $2,378,829.00 |
| Watertown School District | $1,817,550.00 |
| West Hartford School District | $9,712,313.00 |
| West Haven School District | $19,476,456.00 |
| Westbrook School District | $699,409.00 |
| Weston School District | $522,384.00 |
| Westport School District | $1,554,749.00 |
| Wethersfield School District | $2,573,370.00 |
| Willington School District | $577,762.00 |
| Wilton School District | $834,230.00 |
| Winchester School District | $1,609,745.00 |
| Windham School District | $13,718,014.00 |
| Windsor Locks School District | $2,307,193.00 |
| Windsor School District | $4,767,569.00 |
| Wolcott School District | $1,790,370.00 |
| Woodbridge School District | $461,953.00 |
| Woodstock School District | $1,308,139.00 |
ESSER allocations by state
Click a state below to see a detailed breakdown of ESSER allocations by district in each state.
- ESSER hub page
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
History of ESSER
Throughout Spring 2020, all 50 states shuttered K-12 public schools to in-person learning. In most states, students would not return to classrooms for the remainder of the academic year. Congress allocated roughly $190 billion to schools between March 2020 and March 2021 through three rounds of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund grants.[10]
Congress also allocated about 10% of ESSER funding—or about $19 billion—to state education agencies.[11]
Each tranche of ESSER funding came with its own deadline. States had until September 30 to commit money they received in the third round (ARP Act) of ESSER funding—unless they requested and received an extension.[12] Districts were required to have spent the funds by the end of January 2025 (though they could request an extension from the federal government).[13]
According to the U.S. Department of Education, “These Federal emergency resources are available for a wide range of activities to address diverse needs arising from or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, or to emerge stronger post-pandemic, including responding to students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs and continuing to provide educational services as States, LEAs, and schools respond to and recover from the pandemic.”[14]
Districts, already facing declining public school enrollment, grappled with the loss of billions of dollars in federal aid as ESSER funds expired.[15] To put the loss in perspective, in 2019, the last year before Congress began allocating ESSER grants, the federal government spent a total of $57.9 billion on K-12 public schools—less than a third of what Congress allocated to schools through ESSER.[16]
A 2023 Education Next analysis of 22 states found that districts had spent about half of the money on labor costs, which could include new hires and raises for existing personnel.[17] A December 2023 Education Week survey of 250 district leaders found that a quarter of respondents said they didn’t anticipate finding alternative funding to cover ongoing expenses made with ESSER grants.[18]
Some districts announced staff and teacher layoffs due to losing ESSER funds.[19][20][21] Districts also cut expenses in other ways, including ending after-school programs, tutoring services, and more.[22][23]
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Other education policy pages on Ballotpedia
Want to read more about education policy in the United States? Start with the overviews below:
- Education policy
- Impact of school choice on rural school districts
- Trends in curriculum development
- K-12 content standards and curriculum research
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See also
- School board elections, 2025
- School board recalls, 2025
- Endorsements of school board members by state executive officeholders and candidates, 2024
- Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2023
- School board dismissals of district superintendents, 2022-2025
- State takeovers of K-12 public school districts
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, "ESSER Fund Cover Letter," accessed June 13, 2025
- ↑ Edunomics Lab,"ESSER Expenditure Dashboard," accessed June 29, 2025
- ↑ The 74, "ESSER Post-Mortem: How Did Districts Spend $190B in Federal Funds? Did It Work?" June 29, 2025
- ↑ Intercultural Development Research Association, "How Schools Will Be Impacted by the End of Federal COVID-19 Relief Funding," October 8, 2024
- ↑ District Administration, "Learning loss can still be overcome with ESSER," August 15, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, "Strategies for Using American Rescue Plan Funding to Address the Impact of Lost Instructional Time," accessed August 21, 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Government Accountability Office, "School Districts Reported Spending Initial COVID Relief Funds on Meeting Students' Needs and Continuing School Operations," accessed August 21, 2025
- ↑ Intercultural Development Research Association, "How Schools Will Be Impacted by the End of Federal COVID-19 Relief Funding," October 8, 2024
- ↑ McKinsey & Company, "When the money runs out: K–12 schools brace for stimulus-free budgets," September 18, 2024
- ↑ K-12 Dive, "ESSER funding: What it is and how to use it before it expires," February 21, 2023
- ↑ CCSSO, "States Leading: How State Education Agencies Leveraged Pandemic Relief Funds," accessed February 4, 2025
- ↑ New America, "Size: More Money Than Ever Before," accessed February 4, 2025
- ↑ School Superintendents Assocation, "The Advocate March 2024: ESSER Late Liquidation," March 8, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, "Frequently Asked Questions," May 2021
- ↑ Brookings, "Breaking down enrollment declines in public schools," March 14, 2024
- ↑ United States Census, "K-12 School Spending Up 4.7% in 2019 From Previous Year," May 18, 2021
- ↑ Education Next, "The Massive ESSER Experiment: Here’s what we’re learning.," April 4, 2023
- ↑ Education Week, "When ESSER Funds Are Gone, Here’s Where Districts May Turn to Fill Gaps," December 5, 2023
- ↑ NBC DFW, "Arlington ISD faces layoffs with COVID-era ESSER grants coming to an end," March 25, 2024
- ↑ K-12 Dive, "Teacher layoffs are growing — and won’t be going away anytime soon," March 26, 2024
- ↑ CT Insider, "Hartford school board approves $429 million budget with staffing cuts across the district," April 18, 2024
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "Many schools want to keep tutoring going when COVID money is gone. How will they pay for it?" February 1, 2024
- ↑ KOSU, "The end of pandemic-era federal dollars may mean the end of some Oklahoma school programs," April 18, 2024
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