Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) allocation and expenditures by district in New Mexico
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Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding was a series of grants totaling roughly $190 billion that Congress sent to K-12 public schools during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Congress included the funding in three separate spending packages between 2020 and 2021. The first of these occurred 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. 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]
In response to the pandemic, all 50 states closed schools to in-person instruction between February and April 2020.
At the time, the $190 billion was the largest injection of federal funding into the education system in a one-year period.[2] 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.[3]
Congress placed few strings on the grants, largely relying on districts to make their own spending decisions.[4] The expiration of the ESSER funding posed a challenge to districts that allocated a relatively greater portion to recurring expenses, such as teacher salaries or new staff.[5] 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.[6] 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."[7]
On this page, you will find data on the funding Congress allocated to New Mexico's school districts through the three ESSER grants (I, II, and III). Data is made available by Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab.[8] Navigate the page using the following links:
ESSER I
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER I funding allocated to each district in New Mexico.
| New Mexico ESSER I allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER I Allocation |
| 21st Century Public Academy | $89,767.00 |
| ACES Technical Charter School | |
| Alamogordo Public Schools | $1,553,715.00 |
| Albuquerque Bilingual Academy | $148,904.00 |
| Albuquerque Collegiate Charter School | $67,288.00 |
| Albuquerque Institute for Math and Science | $7,686.00 |
| Albuquerque Public Schools | $25,918,315.00 |
| Albuquerque School of Excellence | $324,744.00 |
| Albuquerque Sign Language Academy | $29,044.00 |
| Aldo Leopold Charter School | $38,668.00 |
| Alma D' Arte Charter HS | $48,623.00 |
| Altura Preparatory School | $45,797.00 |
| Amy Biehl Charter School | $58,685.00 |
| Animas Public Schools | $63,069.00 |
| Artesia Public Schools | $606,718.00 |
| Aztec Municipal Schools | $389,190.00 |
| Belen Consolidated Schools | $1,219,840.00 |
| Bernalillo Public School | $806,796.00 |
| Bloomfield Schools | $762,213.00 |
| Capitan Municipal Schools | $199,794.00 |
| Carlsbad Municipal Schools | $985,792.00 |
| Carrizozo Municipal Schools | $79,974.00 |
| Central Consolidated Schools | $2,470,578.00 |
| Cesar Chavez Community School | $79,157.00 |
| Chama Valley Independent School | $75,580.00 |
| Cimarron Municipal Schools | $90,932.00 |
| Clayton Municipal Schools | $123,852.00 |
| Cloudcroft Municipal Schools | $150,554.00 |
| Clovis Municipal Schools | $1,928,072.00 |
| Cobre Consolidate Schools | $383,099.00 |
| Corona Public Schools | $10,976.00 |
| Cuba Independent Schools | $595,472.00 |
| Deming Public Schools | $2,486,695.00 |
| Des Moines Schools | $30,377.00 |
| Dexter Consolidated School District | $179,569.00 |
| Dora Consolidated School | $26,641.00 |
| Dulce Independent Schools | $241,610.00 |
| Dzil Dit L'ooi School of Empowerment & Perseverance | $25,827.00 |
| Elida Municipal Schools | $10,037.00 |
| Espanola Public School District | $1,438,670.00 |
| Estancia Municipal Schools | $154,998.00 |
| Estancia Valley Classical Academy | $63,322.00 |
| Eunice Public Schools | $171,833.00 |
| Explore Academy | $71,388.00 |
| Explore Academy -Las Cruces | |
| Farmington Municipal Schools | $2,212,430.00 |
| Floyd Municipal School District | $29,210.00 |
| Fort Sumner Municipal Schools | $86,331.00 |
| Gadsden Independent Schools | $7,802,804.00 |
| Gallup-McKinley County Schools | $7,076,822.00 |
| Grady Municipal Schools | $9,751.00 |
| Grants Cibola County School District | $1,636,020.00 |
| Hagerman Municipal Schools | $107,672.00 |
| Hatch Valley Municipal Schools | $654,278.00 |
| Hobbs Municipal Schools | $2,294,627.00 |
| Hondo Valley Schools | $38,563.00 |
| Horizon Academy West | $100,270.00 |
| Hozho Academy | $140,939.00 |
| J Paul Taylor Academy | $34,318.00 |
| Jal Public Schools | $37,086.00 |
| Jemez Mountain School District | $149,083.00 |
| Jemez Valley Public Schools | $128,129.00 |
| La Academia Dolores Huerta | $53,375.00 |
| La Tierra Montessori School of the Arts and Sciences | $32,297.00 |
| Lake Arthur Municipal Schools | $30,197.00 |
| Las Cruces School District | $7,365,933.00 |
| Las Montanas Charter HS | $69,892.00 |
| Las Vegas City Schools | $487,300.00 |
| Logan Municipal Schools | $28,649.00 |
| Lordsburg Municipal Schools | $205,621.00 |
| Los Alamos Public Schools | $43,307.00 |
| Los Lunas Consolidated Schools | $1,580,833.00 |
| Loving Municipal Schools | $76,090.00 |
| Lovington Municipal Schools | $599,524.00 |
| Magdalena Municipal Schools | $233,110.00 |
| Maxwell Municipal School | $23,975.00 |
| McCurdy Charter School | $145,201.00 |
| Media Arts Collaborative Charter | $61,629.00 |
| Melrose Municipal Schools | $32,520.00 |
| Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools | $108,446.00 |
| Middle College High School | $22,235.00 |
| Mission Achievement & Success Charter | $866,049.00 |
| Monte del Sol Charter School | $54,993.00 |
| Montessori Elementary School | $32,151.00 |
| Mora Independent Schools | $108,222.00 |
| Moriarty Public Schools | $545,309.00 |
| Mountainair Public Schools | $164,006.00 |
| New America School Las Cruces | $44,950.00 |
| New Mexico Connections Academy | $275,700.00 |
| New Mexico School for the Arts | $25,319.00 |
| North Valley Academy | $143,197.00 |
| Pecos Independent Schools | $156,083.00 |
| Penasco Independent School | $160,343.00 |
| Pojoaque Valley Schools | $310,056.00 |
| Portales Municipal Schools | $897,703.00 |
| Quemado Independent School District | $128,995.00 |
| Questa Independent Schools | $142,510.00 |
| Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Comm School | $24,708.00 |
| Raton Public Schools | $266,758.00 |
| Red River Valley Charter School | $38,232.00 |
| Reserve School District | $64,412.00 |
| Rio Rancho Public Schools | $1,868,500.00 |
| Roots and Wings Community Charter | $17,867.00 |
| Roswell Independent School District | $2,955,722.00 |
| Roy Municipal Schools | $1,087.00 |
| Ruidoso Municipal Schools | $458,301.00 |
| San Jon Municipal Schools | $27,898.00 |
| Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education | $31,071.00 |
| Santa Fe Public Schools | $2,677,972.00 |
| Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools | $177,000.00 |
| School of Dreams Academy | $97,950.00 |
| Silver City Consolidated Schools | $808,345.00 |
| Six Directions Indigenous School | $33,489.00 |
| Socorro Consolidated Schools | $799,793.00 |
| Solare Collegiate Charter School | $94,738.00 |
| South Valley Preparatory School | $57,618.00 |
| Southwest Preparatory Learning | $45,062.00 |
| Southwest Secondary Learning | $35,445.00 |
| Springer Municipal Schools | $58,470.00 |
| SW Aeronautics Mathematics & Science | $37,312.00 |
| T or C Municipal Schools | $630,125.00 |
| Taos Academy | $43,364.00 |
| Taos Integrated School of the Arts | $54,427.00 |
| Taos International School | $71,629.00 |
| Taos Municipal Schools | $995,103.00 |
| Tatum Municipal Schools | $56,572.00 |
| Texico Municipal Schools | $136,316.00 |
| The ASK Academy | $29,632.00 |
| The Great Academy | $38,612.00 |
| Tierra Adentro of New Mexico | $78,403.00 |
| Tierra Encantada Charter School | $59,407.00 |
| Tucumcari Public Schools | $416,316.00 |
| Tularosa Municipal Schools | $475,913.00 |
| Turquoise Trail Charter School | $109,158.00 |
| Vaughn Municipal Schools | $27,290.00 |
| Wagon Mound Public Schools | $94,896.00 |
| Walatowa Charter High School | $11,646.00 |
| West Las Vegas School District | $753,875.00 |
| Zuni Public School District | $908,961.00 |
ESSER II
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER II funding allocated to each district in New Mexico.
| New Mexico ESSER II allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER II Allocation |
| 21st Century Public Academy | $365,888 |
| ACES Technical Charter School | $78,776 |
| Alamogordo Public Schools | $6,362,528 |
| Albuquerque Bilingual Academy | $614,524 |
| Albuquerque Collegiate Charter School | $244,974 |
| Albuquerque Institute for Math and Science | $106,261 |
| Albuquerque Public Schools | $110,278,817 |
| Albuquerque School of Excellence | $1,163,253 |
| Albuquerque Sign Language Academy | $159,717 |
| Aldo Leopold Charter School | $165,016 |
| Alma D' Arte Charter HS | $190,773 |
| Altura Preparatory School | $163,066 |
| Amy Biehl Charter School | $266,121 |
| Animas Public Schools | $233,090 |
| Artesia Public Schools | $2,468,240 |
| Aztec Municipal Schools | $1,583,299 |
| Belen Consolidated Schools | $4,555,573 |
| Bernalillo Public School | $3,107,244 |
| Bloomfield Schools | $3,100,823 |
| Capitan Municipal Schools | $738,415 |
| Carlsbad Municipal Schools | $4,010,385 |
| Carrizozo Municipal Schools | $357,871 |
| Central Consolidated Schools | $10,081,512 |
| Cesar Chavez Community School | $322,024 |
| Chama Valley Independent School | $307,474 |
| Cimarron Municipal Schools | $431,196 |
| Clayton Municipal Schools | $517,342 |
| Cloudcroft Municipal Schools | $594,558 |
| Clovis Municipal Schools | $7,874,499 |
| Cobre Consolidate Schools | $1,424,818 |
| Corona Public Schools | $43,161 |
| Cuba Independent Schools | $2,422,489 |
| Deming Public Schools | $9,956,495 |
| Des Moines Schools | $106,074 |
| Dexter Consolidated School District | $694,977 |
| Dora Consolidated School | $108,382 |
| Dulce Independent Schools | $982,914 |
| Dzil Dit L'ooi School of Empowerment & Perseverance | $111,838 |
| Elida Municipal Schools | $40,834 |
| Espanola Public School District | $5,852,777 |
| Estancia Municipal Schools | $625,550 |
| Estancia Valley Classical Academy | $311,611 |
| Eunice Public Schools | $635,065 |
| Explore Academy | $476,667 |
| Explore Academy -Las Cruces | $100,277 |
| Farmington Municipal Schools | $9,092,802 |
| Floyd Municipal School District | $103,722 |
| Fort Sumner Municipal Schools | $474,675 |
| Gadsden Independent Schools | $32,093,703 |
| Gallup-McKinley County Schools | $30,395,003 |
| Grady Municipal Schools | $4,830 |
| Grants Cibola County School District | $6,748,932 |
| Hagerman Municipal Schools | $398,998 |
| Hatch Valley Municipal Schools | $2,661,725 |
| Hobbs Municipal Schools | $8,479,352 |
| Hondo Valley Schools | $155,833 |
| Horizon Academy West | $407,916 |
| Hozho Academy | $697,048 |
| J Paul Taylor Academy | $142,851 |
| Jal Public Schools | $291,370 |
| Jemez Mountain School District | $606,497 |
| Jemez Valley Public Schools | $516,153 |
| La Academia Dolores Huerta | $143,023 |
| La Tierra Montessori School of the Arts and Sciences | $74,609 |
| Lake Arthur Municipal Schools | $118,668 |
| Las Cruces School District | $30,676,885 |
| Las Montanas Charter HS | $289,239 |
| Las Vegas City Schools | $1,982,425 |
| Logan Municipal Schools | $137,900 |
| Lordsburg Municipal Schools | $836,505 |
| Los Alamos Public Schools | $161,522 |
| Los Lunas Consolidated Schools | $6,865,801 |
| Loving Municipal Schools | $264,043 |
| Lovington Municipal Schools | $2,090,799 |
| Magdalena Municipal Schools | $1,216,189 |
| Maxwell Municipal School | $84,431 |
| McCurdy Charter School | $450,035 |
| Media Arts Collaborative Charter | $250,718 |
| Melrose Municipal Schools | $126,949 |
| Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools | $458,878 |
| Middle College High School | $140,081 |
| Mission Achievement & Success Charter | $3,149,250 |
| Monte del Sol Charter School | $223,723 |
| Montessori Elementary School | $209,207 |
| Mora Independent Schools | $439,028 |
| Moriarty Public Schools | $2,359,545 |
| Mountainair Public Schools | $695,385 |
| New America School Las Cruces | $187,051 |
| New Mexico Connections Academy | $1,107,739 |
| New Mexico School for the Arts | $94,583 |
| North Valley Academy | $595,549 |
| Pecos Independent Schools | $634,974 |
| Penasco Independent School | $728,845 |
| Pojoaque Valley Schools | $1,069,997 |
| Portales Municipal Schools | $3,704,485 |
| Quemado Independent School District | $524,777 |
| Questa Independent Schools | $582,282 |
| Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Comm School | $146,911 |
| Raton Public Schools | $1,085,221 |
| Red River Valley Charter School | $157,363 |
| Reserve School District | $262,039 |
| Rio Rancho Public Schools | $7,601,405 |
| Roots and Wings Community Charter | $54,719 |
| Roswell Independent School District | $10,920,056 |
| Roy Municipal Schools | $4,018 |
| Ruidoso Municipal Schools | $1,864,454 |
| San Jon Municipal Schools | $103,108 |
| Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education | $172,357 |
| Santa Fe Public Schools | $9,593,137 |
| Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools | $720,069 |
| School of Dreams Academy | $414,705 |
| Silver City Consolidated Schools | $3,288,500 |
| Six Directions Indigenous School | $130,842 |
| Socorro Consolidated Schools | $3,215,601 |
| Solare Collegiate Charter School | $520,564 |
| South Valley Preparatory School | $320,720 |
| Southwest Preparatory Learning | $223,439 |
| Southwest Secondary Learning | $144,198 |
| Springer Municipal Schools | $216,241 |
| SW Aeronautics Mathematics & Science | $130,460 |
| T or C Municipal Schools | $2,563,467 |
| Taos Academy | $188,859 |
| Taos Integrated School of the Arts | $204,557 |
| Taos International School | $308,986 |
| Taos Municipal Schools | $3,481,820 |
| Tatum Municipal Schools | $204,686 |
| Texico Municipal Schools | $554,560 |
| The ASK Academy | $128,477 |
| The Great Academy | $197,047 |
| Tierra Adentro of New Mexico | $318,957 |
| Tierra Encantada Charter School | $249,219 |
| Tucumcari Public Schools | $1,871,241 |
| Tularosa Municipal Schools | $1,847,514 |
| Turquoise Trail Charter School | $495,845 |
| Vaughn Municipal Schools | $113,204 |
| Wagon Mound Public Schools | $415,642 |
| Walatowa Charter High School | $50,315 |
| West Las Vegas School District | $3,089,958 |
| Zuni Public School District | $3,697,823 |
ESSER III
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER III funding allocated to each district in New Mexico.
| New Mexico ESSER III allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER III Allocation |
| 21st Century Public Academy | $803,461 |
| ACES Technical Charter School | $172,985 |
| Alamogordo Public Schools | $13,971,615 |
| Albuquerque Bilingual Academy | $1,349,446 |
| Albuquerque Collegiate Charter School | $537,944 |
| Albuquerque Institute for Math and Science | $233,341 |
| Albuquerque Public Schools | $242,163,693 |
| Albuquerque School of Excellence | $2,554,413 |
| Albuquerque Sign Language Academy | $350,727 |
| Aldo Leopold Charter School | $362,361 |
| Alma D' Arte Charter HS | $418,923 |
| Altura Preparatory School | $311,498 |
| Amy Biehl Charter School | $584,381 |
| Animas Public Schools | $511,848 |
| Artesia Public Schools | $5,420,063 |
| Aztec Municipal Schools | $3,476,801 |
| Belen Consolidated Schools | $10,003,682 |
| Bernalillo Public School | $6,823,267 |
| Bloomfield Schools | $6,809,165 |
| Capitan Municipal Schools | $1,621,502 |
| Carlsbad Municipal Schools | $8,806,493 |
| Carrizozo Municipal Schools | $785,858 |
| Central Consolidated Schools | $22,138,216 |
| Cesar Chavez Community School | $707,140 |
| Chama Valley Independent School | $675,188 |
| Cimarron Municipal Schools | $946,874 |
| Clayton Municipal Schools | $1,136,043 |
| Cloudcroft Municipal Schools | $1,305,603 |
| Clovis Municipal Schools | $17,291,786 |
| Cobre Consolidate Schools | $3,128,789 |
| Corona Public Schools | $94,778 |
| Cuba Independent Schools | $5,319,597 |
| Deming Public Schools | $21,863,687 |
| Des Moines Schools | $232,931 |
| Dexter Consolidated School District | $1,526,115 |
| Dora Consolidated School | $237,998 |
| Dulce Independent Schools | $2,158,403 |
| Dzil Dit L'ooi School of Empowerment & Perseverance | $245,589 |
| Elida Municipal Schools | $89,668 |
| Espanola Public School District | $12,852,243 |
| Estancia Municipal Schools | $1,373,660 |
| Estancia Valley Classical Academy | $684,274 |
| Eunice Public Schools | $1,394,553 |
| Explore Academy | $1,046,724 |
| Explore Academy -Las Cruces | $220,200 |
| Farmington Municipal Schools | $19,967,085 |
| Floyd Municipal School District | $227,765 |
| Fort Sumner Municipal Schools | $1,042,349 |
| Gadsden Independent Schools | $70,475,272 |
| Gallup-McKinley County Schools | $66,745,059 |
| Grady Municipal Schools | $10,607 |
| Grants Cibola County School District | $14,820,129 |
| Hagerman Municipal Schools | $876,168 |
| Hatch Valley Municipal Schools | $5,844,940 |
| Hobbs Municipal Schools | $18,619,996 |
| Hondo Valley Schools | $342,198 |
| Horizon Academy West | $895,753 |
| Hozho Academy | $1,530,663 |
| J Paul Taylor Academy | $313,690 |
| Jal Public Schools | $639,826 |
| Jemez Mountain School District | $1,331,821 |
| Jemez Valley Public Schools | $1,133,433 |
| La Academia Dolores Huerta | $314,068 |
| La Tierra Montessori School of the Arts and Sciences | $163,836 |
| Lake Arthur Municipal Schools | $260,586 |
| Las Cruces School District | $67,364,050 |
| Las Montanas Charter HS | $635,146 |
| Las Vegas City Schools | $4,353,252 |
| Logan Municipal Schools | $302,817 |
| Lordsburg Municipal Schools | $1,836,900 |
| Los Alamos Public Schools | $354,689 |
| Los Lunas Consolidated Schools | $15,076,765 |
| Loving Municipal Schools | $579,818 |
| Lovington Municipal Schools | $4,591,231 |
| Magdalena Municipal Schools | $2,670,655 |
| Maxwell Municipal School | $185,403 |
| McCurdy Charter School | $988,242 |
| Media Arts Collaborative Charter | $550,557 |
| Melrose Municipal Schools | $278,769 |
| Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools | $1,007,661 |
| Middle College High School | $307,607 |
| Mission Achievement & Success Charter | $6,915,508 |
| Monte del Sol Charter School | $491,279 |
| Montessori Elementary School | $459,402 |
| Mora Independent Schools | $964,071 |
| Moriarty Public Schools | $5,181,377 |
| Mountainair Public Schools | $1,527,011 |
| New America School Las Cruces | $410,750 |
| New Mexico Connections Academy | $2,432,508 |
| New Mexico School for the Arts | $207,698 |
| North Valley Academy | $1,307,778 |
| Pecos Independent Schools | $1,394,354 |
| Penasco Independent School | $1,600,486 |
| Pojoaque Valley Schools | $2,349,630 |
| Portales Municipal Schools | $8,134,761 |
| Quemado Independent School District | $1,152,369 |
| Questa Independent Schools | $1,278,645 |
| Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Comm School | $322,605 |
| Raton Public Schools | $2,383,061 |
| Red River Valley Charter School | $345,557 |
| Reserve School District | $575,418 |
| Rio Rancho Public Schools | $16,692,093 |
| Roots and Wings Community Charter | $120,160 |
| Roswell Independent School District | $23,979,594 |
| Roy Municipal Schools | $8,822 |
| Ruidoso Municipal Schools | $4,094,195 |
| San Jon Municipal Schools | $226,416 |
| Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education | $378,482 |
| Santa Fe Public Schools | $21,065,782 |
| Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools | $1,581,216 |
| School of Dreams Academy | $910,661 |
| Silver City Consolidated Schools | $7,221,289 |
| Six Directions Indigenous School | $287,318 |
| Socorro Consolidated Schools | $7,061,209 |
| Solare Collegiate Charter School | $1,143,119 |
| South Valley Preparatory School | $704,277 |
| Southwest Preparatory Learning | $490,654 |
| Southwest Secondary Learning | $316,648 |
| Springer Municipal Schools | $474,849 |
| SW Aeronautics Mathematics & Science | $286,478 |
| T or C Municipal Schools | $5,629,173 |
| Taos Academy | $414,719 |
| Taos Integrated School of the Arts | $449,190 |
| Taos International School | $678,508 |
| Taos Municipal Schools | $7,645,805 |
| Tatum Municipal Schools | $449,474 |
| Texico Municipal Schools | $1,217,771 |
| The ASK Academy | $282,126 |
| The Great Academy | $432,699 |
| Tierra Adentro of New Mexico | $700,405 |
| Tierra Encantada Charter School | $547,265 |
| Tucumcari Public Schools | $4,109,100 |
| Tularosa Municipal Schools | $4,056,998 |
| Turquoise Trail Charter School | $1,088,838 |
| Vaughn Municipal Schools | $248,586 |
| Wagon Mound Public Schools | $912,717 |
| Walatowa Charter High School | $110,487 |
| West Las Vegas School District | $6,785,308 |
| Zuni Public School District | $8,120,131 |
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.[9]
Congress also allocated about 10% of ESSER funding—or about $19 billion—to state education agencies.[10]
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.[11] Districts were required to have spent the funds by the end of January 2025 (though they could request an extension from the federal government).[12]
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.”[13]
Districts, already facing declining public school enrollment, grappled with the loss of billions of dollars in federal aid as ESSER funds expired.[14] 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.[15]
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.[16] 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.[17]
Some districts announced staff and teacher layoffs due to losing ESSER funds.[18][19][20] Districts also cut expenses in other ways, including ending after-school programs, tutoring services, and more.[21][22]
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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
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Brookings, "The ESSER fiscal cliff will have serious implications for student equity," September 12, 2023
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Edunomics Lab,"ESSER Expenditure Dashboard," accessed June 29, 2025
- ↑ 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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Elections
Elections by state
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Lists
Largest school districts in the United States by enrollment • List of school districts in the United States • Glossary of education terms • Analysis of spending in America's largest school districts • United States school shootings, 1990-present • School board salaries in America's largest school districts
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