Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) allocation and expenditures by district in Georgia
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This page includes information and data on federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding in Georgia. 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 Georgia's 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 Georgia.
| Georgia ESSER I allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER I Allocation |
| Academy For Classical Education | |
| Appling County | $1,070,996.00 |
| Atkinson County | $659,607.00 |
| Atlanta Heights Charter School | $414,942.00 |
| Atlanta Public Schools | $22,948,079.00 |
| Atlanta Unbound Academy | |
| Bacon County | $721,739.00 |
| Baconton Community Charter School | $298,972.00 |
| Baker County | $191,112.00 |
| Baldwin County | $2,015,889.00 |
| Banks County | $549,765.00 |
| Barrow County | $2,352,623.00 |
| Bartow County | $2,581,246.00 |
| Ben Hill County | $1,486,334.00 |
| Berrien County | $971,365.00 |
| Bibb County | $10,636,395.00 |
| Bleckley County | $488,283.00 |
| Brantley County | $868,887.00 |
| Bremen City | $228,799.00 |
| Brookhaven Innovation Academy | $35,999.00 |
| Brooks County | $947,527.00 |
| Bryan County | $798,858.00 |
| Buford City | $480,143.00 |
| Bulloch County | $2,577,084.00 |
| Burke County | $1,785,945.00 |
| Butts County | $808,249.00 |
| Calhoun City | $723,107.00 |
| Calhoun County | $291,397.00 |
| Camden County | $1,448,403.00 |
| Candler County | $762,689.00 |
| Carroll County | $3,728,777.00 |
| Carrollton City | $1,005,593.00 |
| Cartersville City | $730,199.00 |
| Catoosa County | $1,654,329.00 |
| Charlton County | $557,889.00 |
| Chattahoochee County | $207,377.00 |
| Chattooga County | $820,811.00 |
| Cherokee Charter Academy | $48,724.00 |
| Cherokee County | $3,706,437.00 |
| Chickamauga City | $99,687.00 |
| Cirrus Charter Academy | $224,406.00 |
| City Schools of Decatur | $321,028.00 |
| Clarke County | $5,793,374.00 |
| Clay County | $234,284.00 |
| Clayton County | $17,458,566.00 |
| Clinch County | $450,270.00 |
| Coastal Plains High School | $219,162.00 |
| Cobb County | $16,038,221.00 |
| Coffee County | $2,640,115.00 |
| Colquitt County | $2,937,613.00 |
| Columbia County | $1,889,562.00 |
| Commerce City | $295,112.00 |
| Cook County | $988,226.00 |
| Coweta Charter Academy | $48,551.00 |
| Coweta County | $3,229,147.00 |
| Crawford County | $461,980.00 |
| Crisp County | $1,944,316.00 |
| D.E.L.T.A. STEAM Academy | |
| Dade County | $360,094.00 |
| Dalton Public Schools | $1,987,308.00 |
| Dawson County | $418,695.00 |
| Decatur County | $2,073,054.00 |
| DeKalb County | $33,585,162.00 |
| Department of Juvenile Justice | $351,734.00 |
| Dodge County | $992,560.00 |
| Dooly County | $800,624.00 |
| Dougherty County | $7,115,269.00 |
| Douglas County | $4,933,045.00 |
| Dublin City | $1,370,051.00 |
| Dubois Integrity Academy | $211,088.00 |
| Early County | $889,835.00 |
| Echols County | $287,449.00 |
| Effingham County | $1,195,100.00 |
| Elbert County | $927,691.00 |
| Emanuel County | $1,698,137.00 |
| Ethos Classical Charter School | $81,078.00 |
| Evans County | $820,585.00 |
| Fannin County | $721,600.00 |
| Fayette County | $1,167,534.00 |
| Floyd County | $2,005,542.00 |
| Foothills Regional High School | $205,193.00 |
| Forsyth County | $1,705,290.00 |
| Franklin County | $834,337.00 |
| Fulton County | $18,300,111.00 |
| Fulton Leadership Academy | $96,756.00 |
| Furlow Charter School | |
| Gainesville City | $2,117,696.00 |
| Genesis Innovation Academy for Boys | $83,849.00 |
| Genesis Innovation Academy for Girls | $81,964.00 |
| Georgia Connections Academy (Virtual) | $790,124.00 |
| Georgia Cyber Academy (Virtual) | $3,210,873.00 |
| Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School | |
| Gilmer County | $1,025,085.00 |
| Glascock County | $90,954.00 |
| Glynn County | $3,455,791.00 |
| Gordon County | $1,291,235.00 |
| Grady County | $1,507,090.00 |
| Greene County | $712,838.00 |
| Griffin-Spalding County | $3,719,528.00 |
| Gwinnett County | $32,259,639.00 |
| Habersham County | $1,219,643.00 |
| Hall County | $5,166,547.00 |
| Hancock County | $489,382.00 |
| Haralson County | $822,555.00 |
| Harris County | $448,520.00 |
| Hart County | $897,397.00 |
| Heard County | $446,286.00 |
| Henry County | $5,898,078.00 |
| Houston County | $5,416,161.00 |
| International Academy of Smyrna | $127,833.00 |
| International Charter Academy of Georgia | $6,614.00 |
| International Charter School of Atlanta | $33,299.00 |
| Irwin County | $503,725.00 |
| Ivy Preparatory Academy, Inc | $144,551.00 |
| Jackson County | $1,029,812.00 |
| Jasper County | $535,199.00 |
| Jeff Davis County | $893,973.00 |
| Jefferson City | $180,983.00 |
| Jefferson County | $1,004,872.00 |
| Jenkins County | $625,455.00 |
| Johnson County | $452,016.00 |
| Jones County | $729,951.00 |
| Lamar County | $638,323.00 |
| Lanier County | $563,337.00 |
| Laurens County | $1,489,084.00 |
| Lee County | $637,933.00 |
| Liberty County | $2,260,284.00 |
| Lincoln County | $275,984.00 |
| Long County | $826,321.00 |
| Lowndes County | $1,893,595.00 |
| Lumpkin County | $712,029.00 |
| Macon County | $814,568.00 |
| Madison County | $897,874.00 |
| Marietta City | $1,657,552.00 |
| Marion County | $488,185.00 |
| McDuffie County | $1,329,120.00 |
| McIntosh County | $599,308.00 |
| Meriwether County | $1,173,325.00 |
| Miller County | $384,442.00 |
| Mitchell County | $989,662.00 |
| Monroe County | $573,651.00 |
| Montgomery County | $367,905.00 |
| Morgan County | $503,744.00 |
| Mountain Education High School | $358,676.00 |
| Murray County | $1,492,540.00 |
| Muscogee County | $10,143,043.00 |
| Newton County | $4,537,226.00 |
| Oconee County | $356,885.00 |
| Odyssey Charter School | $954,637.00 |
| Oglethorpe County | $419,017.00 |
| Pataula Charter Academy | $192,732.00 |
| Paulding County | $3,015,293.00 |
| Peach County | $1,159,011.00 |
| Pelham City | $331,837.00 |
| Pickens County | $747,601.00 |
| Pierce County | $825,561.00 |
| Pike County | $363,233.00 |
| Polk County | $2,072,837.00 |
| Pulaski County | $435,970.00 |
| Putnam County | $872,747.00 |
| Quitman County | $160,420.00 |
| Rabun County | $476,559.00 |
| Randolph County | $456,252.00 |
| Resurgence Hall Charter School | $61,198.00 |
| Richmond County | $12,834,207.00 |
| Rockdale County | $3,439,833.00 |
| Rome City | $2,015,103.00 |
| SAIL Charter Academy - School for Arts-Infused Learning | $57,961.00 |
| Savannah-Chatham County | $10,929,786.00 |
| Schley County | $215,453.00 |
| Scintilla Charter Academy | $90,596.00 |
| Screven County | $846,541.00 |
| Seminole County | $583,389.00 |
| SLAM Academy of Atlanta | $59,431.00 |
| Social Circle City | $180,645.00 |
| Southwest Georgia S.T.E.M. Charter Academy | $181,566.00 |
| Spring Creek Charter Academy | $99,811.00 |
| State Schools | $92,193.00 |
| Statesboro STEAM Academy | $33,531.00 |
| Stephens County | $975,501.00 |
| Stewart County | $273,706.00 |
| Sumter County | $2,824,567.00 |
| Talbot County | $319,801.00 |
| Taliaferro County | $118,369.00 |
| Tattnall County | $1,284,221.00 |
| Taylor County | $447,723.00 |
| Telfair County | $832,293.00 |
| Terrell County | $897,631.00 |
| Thomas County | $994,612.00 |
| Thomaston-Upson County | $1,363,872.00 |
| Thomasville City | $1,141,616.00 |
| Tift County | $2,709,430.00 |
| Toombs County | $1,254,736.00 |
| Towns County | $229,657.00 |
| Treutlen County | $433,135.00 |
| Trion City | $173,557.00 |
| Troup County | $3,019,886.00 |
| Turner County | $694,907.00 |
| Twiggs County | $400,376.00 |
| Union County | $527,666.00 |
| Utopian Academy for the Arts Charter School | $90,638.00 |
| Valdosta City | $3,417,698.00 |
| Vidalia City | $665,004.00 |
| Walker County | $2,227,663.00 |
| Walton County | $2,548,501.00 |
| Ware County | $2,426,570.00 |
| Warren County | $369,409.00 |
| Washington County | $1,148,281.00 |
| Wayne County | $1,545,299.00 |
| Webster County | $105,255.00 |
| Wheeler County | $368,356.00 |
| White County | $742,716.00 |
| Whitfield County | $2,740,882.00 |
| Wilcox County | $448,902.00 |
| Wilkes County | $525,891.00 |
| Wilkinson County | $478,178.00 |
| Worth County | $1,084,185.00 |
ESSER II
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER II funding allocated to each district in Georgia.
| Georgia ESSER II allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER II Allocation |
| Academy For Classical Education | $524,827.00 |
| Appling County | $4,551,478.00 |
| Atkinson County | $2,906,955.00 |
| Atlanta Heights Charter School | $1,696,981.00 |
| Atlanta Public Schools | $89,664,198.00 |
| Atlanta Unbound Academy | $182,741.00 |
| Bacon County | $3,228,027.00 |
| Baconton Community Charter School | $1,236,111.00 |
| Baker County | $832,543.00 |
| Baldwin County | $8,079,646.00 |
| Banks County | $2,202,114.00 |
| Barrow County | $8,879,097.00 |
| Bartow County | $10,120,407.00 |
| Ben Hill County | $5,996,430.00 |
| Berrien County | $4,118,427.00 |
| Bibb County | $44,660,054.00 |
| Bleckley County | $2,091,533.00 |
| Brantley County | $3,693,013.00 |
| Bremen City | $776,260.00 |
| Brookhaven Innovation Academy | $186,751.00 |
| Brooks County | $3,914,526.00 |
| Bryan County | $3,207,351.00 |
| Buford City | $1,633,194.00 |
| Bulloch County | $10,543,418.00 |
| Burke County | $6,779,619.00 |
| Butts County | $3,858,412.00 |
| Calhoun City | $3,360,742.00 |
| Calhoun County | $1,177,485.00 |
| Camden County | $6,323,165.00 |
| Candler County | $3,112,662.00 |
| Carroll County | $15,412,001.00 |
| Carrollton City | $4,001,233.00 |
| Cartersville City | $3,055,538.00 |
| Catoosa County | $6,694,837.00 |
| Charlton County | $2,238,698.00 |
| Chattahoochee County | $833,149.00 |
| Chattooga County | $3,109,100.00 |
| Cherokee Charter Academy | $229,773.00 |
| Cherokee County | $15,684,226.00 |
| Chickamauga City | $481,282.00 |
| Cirrus Charter Academy | $1,094,625.00 |
| City Schools of Decatur | $1,089,171.00 |
| Clarke County | $21,603,273.00 |
| Clay County | $895,419.00 |
| Clayton County | $75,921,262.00 |
| Clinch County | $1,882,115.00 |
| Coastal Plains High School | $1,206,332.00 |
| Cobb County | $71,509,772.00 |
| Coffee County | $11,124,491.00 |
| Colquitt County | $12,498,326.00 |
| Columbia County | $8,979,035.00 |
| Commerce City | $1,158,698.00 |
| Cook County | $4,273,772.00 |
| Coweta Charter Academy | $248,202.00 |
| Coweta County | $13,616,325.00 |
| Crawford County | $1,924,836.00 |
| Crisp County | $8,020,451.00 |
| D.E.L.T.A. STEAM Academy | $107,181.00 |
| Dade County | $1,494,532.00 |
| Dalton Public Schools | $7,162,732.00 |
| Dawson County | $1,652,100.00 |
| Decatur County | $7,860,834.00 |
| DeKalb County | $139,470,859.00 |
| Department of Juvenile Justice | $1,263,546.00 |
| Dodge County | $4,011,170.00 |
| Dooly County | $3,217,845.00 |
| Dougherty County | $29,080,759.00 |
| Douglas County | $22,250,490.00 |
| Dublin City | $5,521,192.00 |
| Dubois Integrity Academy | $1,011,278.00 |
| Early County | $3,563,215.00 |
| Echols County | $1,180,723.00 |
| Effingham County | $4,956,619.00 |
| Elbert County | $3,771,238.00 |
| Emanuel County | $6,920,163.00 |
| Ethos Classical Charter School | $602,379.00 |
| Evans County | $3,407,396.00 |
| Fannin County | $3,022,125.00 |
| Fayette County | $4,701,170.00 |
| Floyd County | $9,086,226.00 |
| Foothills Regional High School | $1,126,014.00 |
| Forsyth County | $5,785,640.00 |
| Franklin County | $3,454,811.00 |
| Fulton County | $75,177,534.00 |
| Fulton Leadership Academy | $389,021.00 |
| Furlow Charter School | $1,039,870.00 |
| Gainesville City | $8,759,723.00 |
| Genesis Innovation Academy for Boys | $438,820.00 |
| Genesis Innovation Academy for Girls | $406,619.00 |
| Georgia Connections Academy (Virtual) | $3,563,878.00 |
| Georgia Cyber Academy (Virtual) | $11,751,056.00 |
| Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School | $273,076.00 |
| Gilmer County | $4,556,875.00 |
| Glascock County | $366,748.00 |
| Glynn County | $14,361,535.00 |
| Gordon County | $5,776,972.00 |
| Grady County | $6,071,394.00 |
| Greene County | $3,165,618.00 |
| Griffin-Spalding County | $14,603,113.00 |
| Gwinnett County | $125,744,729.00 |
| Habersham County | $5,110,566.00 |
| Hall County | $22,128,793.00 |
| Hancock County | $2,081,679.00 |
| Haralson County | $3,377,087.00 |
| Harris County | $2,016,824.00 |
| Hart County | $3,641,648.00 |
| Heard County | $1,844,050.00 |
| Henry County | $23,771,662.00 |
| Houston County | $22,253,363.00 |
| International Academy of Smyrna | $573,864.00 |
| International Charter Academy of Georgia | $22,439.00 |
| International Charter School of Atlanta | $152,691.00 |
| Irwin County | $2,125,254.00 |
| Ivy Preparatory Academy, Inc | $716,730.00 |
| Jackson County | $4,192,499.00 |
| Jasper County | $2,193,578.00 |
| Jeff Davis County | $3,583,921.00 |
| Jefferson City | $718,735.00 |
| Jefferson County | $4,192,993.00 |
| Jenkins County | $2,422,784.00 |
| Johnson County | $1,836,346.00 |
| Jones County | $3,172,696.00 |
| Lamar County | $2,642,825.00 |
| Lanier County | $2,236,451.00 |
| Laurens County | $6,531,423.00 |
| Lee County | $2,863,940.00 |
| Liberty County | $8,985,808.00 |
| Lincoln County | $1,110,533.00 |
| Long County | $3,376,087.00 |
| Lowndes County | $8,642,376.00 |
| Lumpkin County | $2,850,245.00 |
| Macon County | $3,324,794.00 |
| Madison County | $3,923,373.00 |
| Marietta City | $7,019,885.00 |
| Marion County | $2,052,881.00 |
| McDuffie County | $5,359,100.00 |
| McIntosh County | $2,558,454.00 |
| Meriwether County | $5,214,119.00 |
| Miller County | $1,466,331.00 |
| Mitchell County | $4,010,133.00 |
| Monroe County | $2,407,015.00 |
| Montgomery County | $1,487,510.00 |
| Morgan County | $2,088,319.00 |
| Mountain Education High School | $1,381,705.00 |
| Murray County | $6,095,062.00 |
| Muscogee County | $42,325,541.00 |
| Newton County | $19,137,580.00 |
| Oconee County | $1,487,017.00 |
| Odyssey Charter School | $3,429,377.00 |
| Oglethorpe County | $1,714,235.00 |
| Pataula Charter Academy | $842,964.00 |
| Paulding County | $12,626,316.00 |
| Peach County | $5,101,534.00 |
| Pelham City | $1,397,854.00 |
| Pickens County | $3,177,460.00 |
| Pierce County | $3,410,391.00 |
| Pike County | $1,496,752.00 |
| Polk County | $8,817,235.00 |
| Pulaski County | $2,026,085.00 |
| Putnam County | $3,609,799.00 |
| Quitman County | $658,115.00 |
| Rabun County | $1,925,286.00 |
| Randolph County | $1,874,627.00 |
| Resurgence Hall Charter School | $371,795.00 |
| Richmond County | $51,983,496.00 |
| Rockdale County | $14,620,532.00 |
| Rome City | $9,324,209.00 |
| SAIL Charter Academy - School for Arts-Infused Learning | $196,648.00 |
| Savannah-Chatham County | $44,088,599.00 |
| Schley County | $891,652.00 |
| Scintilla Charter Academy | $433,246.00 |
| Screven County | $4,079,752.00 |
| Seminole County | $2,401,926.00 |
| SLAM Academy of Atlanta | $245,720.00 |
| Social Circle City | $732,314.00 |
| Southwest Georgia S.T.E.M. Charter Academy | $688,483.00 |
| Spring Creek Charter Academy | $506,593.00 |
| State Schools | $373,210.00 |
| Statesboro STEAM Academy | $155,886.00 |
| Stephens County | $3,983,827.00 |
| Stewart County | $1,040,844.00 |
| Sumter County | $10,710,503.00 |
| Talbot County | $1,376,413.00 |
| Taliaferro County | $468,992.00 |
| Tattnall County | $5,348,354.00 |
| Taylor County | $1,944,315.00 |
| Telfair County | $3,194,018.00 |
| Terrell County | $3,515,680.00 |
| Thomas County | $4,062,300.00 |
| Thomaston-Upson County | $5,919,368.00 |
| Thomasville City | $4,932,295.00 |
| Tift County | $10,345,395.00 |
| Toombs County | $5,522,017.00 |
| Towns County | $942,623.00 |
| Treutlen County | $1,724,437.00 |
| Trion City | $623,668.00 |
| Troup County | $12,997,534.00 |
| Turner County | $2,934,016.00 |
| Twiggs County | $1,636,623.00 |
| Union County | $2,194,277.00 |
| Utopian Academy for the Arts Charter School | $487,190.00 |
| Valdosta City | $16,657,658.00 |
| Vidalia City | $3,195,310.00 |
| Walker County | $8,879,409.00 |
| Walton County | $10,702,537.00 |
| Ware County | $9,815,408.00 |
| Warren County | $1,556,590.00 |
| Washington County | $5,472,179.00 |
| Wayne County | $6,210,328.00 |
| Webster County | $475,911.00 |
| Wheeler County | $1,546,185.00 |
| White County | $3,183,372.00 |
| Whitfield County | $11,582,837.00 |
| Wilcox County | $1,866,797.00 |
| Wilkes County | $2,126,709.00 |
| Wilkinson County | $2,307,200.00 |
| Worth County | $4,722,423.00 |
ESSER III
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER III funding allocated to each district in Georgia.
| Georgia ESSER III allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER III Allocation |
| Academy For Classical Education | $1,179,754 |
| Appling County | $10,231,221 |
| Atkinson County | $6,534,516 |
| Atlanta Heights Charter School | $3,814,628 |
| Atlanta Public Schools | $201,555,253 |
| Atlanta Unbound Academy | $410,783 |
| Bacon County | $7,256,250 |
| Baconton Community Charter School | $2,778,641 |
| Baker County | $1,871,465 |
| Baldwin County | $18,162,155 |
| Banks County | $4,950,109 |
| Barrow County | $19,959,234 |
| Bartow County | $22,749,560 |
| Ben Hill County | $13,479,315 |
| Berrien County | $9,257,770 |
| Bibb County | $100,390,887 |
| Bleckley County | $4,701,536 |
| Brantley County | $8,301,488 |
| Bremen City | $1,744,948 |
| Brookhaven Innovation Academy | $419,794 |
| Brooks County | $8,799,423 |
| Bryan County | $7,209,773 |
| Buford City | $3,671,240 |
| Bulloch County | $23,700,443 |
| Burke County | $15,239,836 |
| Butts County | $8,673,286 |
| Calhoun City | $7,554,578 |
| Calhoun County | $2,646,857 |
| Camden County | $14,213,779 |
| Candler County | $6,996,922 |
| Carroll County | $34,644,483 |
| Carrollton City | $8,994,330 |
| Cartersville City | $6,868,513 |
| Catoosa County | $15,049,257 |
| Charlton County | $5,032,346 |
| Chattahoochee County | $1,872,828 |
| Chattooga County | $6,988,915 |
| Cherokee Charter Academy | $516,504 |
| Cherokee County | $35,256,415 |
| Chickamauga City | $1,081,869 |
| Cirrus Charter Academy | $2,460,597 |
| City Schools of Decatur | $2,448,337 |
| Clarke County | $48,561,782 |
| Clay County | $2,012,804 |
| Clayton County | $170,662,645 |
| Clinch County | $4,230,787 |
| Coastal Plains High School | $2,711,702 |
| Cobb County | $160,746,100 |
| Coffee County | $25,006,632 |
| Colquitt County | $28,094,863 |
| Columbia County | $20,183,882 |
| Commerce City | $2,604,625 |
| Cook County | $9,606,970 |
| Coweta Charter Academy | $557,931 |
| Coweta County | $30,608,000 |
| Crawford County | $4,326,819 |
| Crisp County | $18,029,091 |
| D.E.L.T.A. STEAM Academy | $240,931 |
| Dade County | $3,359,542 |
| Dalton Public Schools | $16,101,034 |
| Dawson County | $3,713,740 |
| Decatur County | $17,670,291 |
| DeKalb County | $313,515,146 |
| Department of Juvenile Justice | $2,840,313 |
| Dodge County | $9,016,668 |
| Dooly County | $7,233,361 |
| Dougherty County | $65,370,346 |
| Douglas County | $50,016,655 |
| Dublin City | $12,411,032 |
| Dubois Integrity Academy | $2,273,242 |
| Early County | $8,009,715 |
| Echols County | $2,654,135 |
| Effingham County | $11,141,935 |
| Elbert County | $8,477,328 |
| Emanuel County | $15,555,764 |
| Ethos Classical Charter School | $1,354,083 |
| Evans County | $7,659,450 |
| Fannin County | $6,793,404 |
| Fayette County | $10,567,714 |
| Floyd County | $20,424,835 |
| Foothills Regional High School | $2,531,155 |
| Forsyth County | $13,005,483 |
| Franklin County | $7,766,036 |
| Fulton County | $168,990,825 |
| Fulton Leadership Academy | $874,478 |
| Furlow Charter School | $2,337,514 |
| Gainesville City | $19,690,894 |
| Genesis Innovation Academy for Boys | $986,418 |
| Genesis Innovation Academy for Girls | $914,035 |
| Georgia Connections Academy (Virtual) | $8,011,205 |
| Georgia Cyber Academy (Virtual) | $26,415,080 |
| Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School | $613,847 |
| Gilmer County | $10,243,354 |
| Glascock County | $824,410 |
| Glynn County | $32,283,149 |
| Gordon County | $12,985,996 |
| Grady County | $13,647,825 |
| Greene County | $7,115,961 |
| Griffin-Spalding County | $32,826,192 |
| Gwinnett County | $282,660,315 |
| Habersham County | $11,487,991 |
| Hall County | $49,743,092 |
| Hancock County | $4,679,384 |
| Haralson County | $7,591,321 |
| Harris County | $4,533,599 |
| Hart County | $8,186,025 |
| Heard County | $4,145,222 |
| Henry County | $53,436,082 |
| Houston County | $50,023,112 |
| International Academy of Smyrna | $1,289,982 |
| International Charter Academy of Georgia | $50,564 |
| International Charter School of Atlanta | $343,233 |
| Irwin County | $4,777,338 |
| Ivy Preparatory Academy, Inc | $1,611,131 |
| Jackson County | $9,424,278 |
| Jasper County | $4,930,923 |
| Jeff Davis County | $8,056,260 |
| Jefferson City | $1,615,638 |
| Jefferson County | $9,425,387 |
| Jenkins County | $5,446,152 |
| Johnson County | $4,127,903 |
| Jones County | $7,131,871 |
| Lamar County | $5,940,781 |
| Lanier County | $5,027,296 |
| Laurens County | $14,681,921 |
| Lee County | $6,437,821 |
| Liberty County | $20,199,106 |
| Lincoln County | $2,496,057 |
| Long County | $7,589,071 |
| Lowndes County | $19,427,111 |
| Lumpkin County | $6,407,037 |
| Macon County | $7,473,771 |
| Madison County | $8,819,310 |
| Marietta City | $15,779,929 |
| Marion County | $4,614,651 |
| McDuffie County | $12,046,668 |
| McIntosh County | $5,751,124 |
| Meriwether County | $11,720,767 |
| Miller County | $3,296,150 |
| Mitchell County | $9,014,338 |
| Monroe County | $5,410,706 |
| Montgomery County | $3,343,760 |
| Morgan County | $4,694,311 |
| Mountain Education High School | $3,105,920 |
| Murray County | $13,701,028 |
| Muscogee County | $95,143,158 |
| Newton County | $43,019,173 |
| Oconee County | $3,342,649 |
| Odyssey Charter School | $7,708,862 |
| Oglethorpe County | $3,853,411 |
| Pataula Charter Academy | $1,894,889 |
| Paulding County | $28,382,569 |
| Peach County | $11,467,687 |
| Pelham City | $3,142,222 |
| Pickens County | $7,142,582 |
| Pierce County | $7,666,183 |
| Pike County | $3,364,532 |
| Polk County | $19,820,174 |
| Pulaski County | $4,554,417 |
| Putnam County | $8,114,430 |
| Quitman County | $1,479,371 |
| Rabun County | $4,327,831 |
| Randolph County | $4,213,954 |
| Resurgence Hall Charter School | $835,754 |
| Richmond County | $116,853,179 |
| Rockdale County | $32,865,348 |
| Rome City | $20,959,797 |
| SAIL Charter Academy - School for Arts-Infused Learning | $442,043 |
| Savannah-Chatham County | $99,106,320 |
| Schley County | $2,004,336 |
| Scintilla Charter Academy | $973,891 |
| Screven County | $9,170,833 |
| Seminole County | $5,399,265 |
| SLAM Academy of Atlanta | $552,353 |
| Social Circle City | $1,646,160 |
| Southwest Georgia S.T.E.M. Charter Academy | $1,547,634 |
| Spring Creek Charter Academy | $1,138,766 |
| State Schools | $838,933 |
| Statesboro STEAM Academy | $350,414 |
| Stephens County | $8,955,205 |
| Stewart County | $2,339,703 |
| Sumter County | $24,076,032 |
| Talbot County | $3,094,025 |
| Taliaferro County | $1,054,242 |
| Tattnall County | $12,022,512 |
| Taylor County | $4,370,607 |
| Telfair County | $7,179,801 |
| Terrell County | $7,902,862 |
| Thomas County | $9,131,603 |
| Thomaston-Upson County | $13,306,089 |
| Thomasville City | $11,087,257 |
| Tift County | $23,255,310 |
| Toombs County | $12,412,886 |
| Towns County | $2,118,913 |
| Treutlen County | $3,876,344 |
| Trion City | $1,401,938 |
| Troup County | $29,217,027 |
| Turner County | $6,595,346 |
| Twiggs County | $3,678,949 |
| Union County | $4,932,494 |
| Utopian Academy for the Arts Charter School | $1,095,149 |
| Valdosta City | $37,444,582 |
| Vidalia City | $7,182,705 |
| Walker County | $19,959,934 |
| Walton County | $24,058,127 |
| Ware County | $22,063,958 |
| Warren County | $3,499,042 |
| Washington County | $12,300,856 |
| Wayne County | $13,960,133 |
| Webster County | $1,069,794 |
| Wheeler County | $3,475,654 |
| White County | $7,155,869 |
| Whitfield County | $26,036,944 |
| Wilcox County | $4,196,354 |
| Wilkes County | $4,780,608 |
| Wilkinson County | $5,186,332 |
| Worth County | $10,615,488 |
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]
Subscribe to Hall Pass to stay up to date on school board politics and education policy
Hall Pass is a weekly newsletter designed to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board politics and education policy. We bring you a roundup of the sharpest education commentary and research from across the political spectrum and the latest on school board elections and recall efforts.
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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
- K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and statutes in the states
- K-12 areas of instruction required by statute in the states
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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