Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) allocation and expenditures by district in North Dakota
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Last updated: July 2025
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 North Dakota'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 North Dakota.
| North Dakota ESSER I allocation by district | |
|---|---|
| District name | Total ESSER I allocation |
| Alexander Public School | $40,594 |
| Anamoose Public School | $100,567 |
| Apple Creek School | $6,000 |
| Ashley Public School | $36,718 |
| Bakker Public School **SAM.gov Expired** | $6,000 |
| Barnes County North Public School | $65,241 |
| Beach School District #3 | $76,184 |
| Belcourt School District #7 | $2,395,287 |
| Belfield Public School | $40,335 |
| Beulah School District 27 | $95,686 |
| Billings County School District | $6,000 |
| Bismarck Public Schools | $2,330,761 |
| Bottineau School District 1 | $187,379 |
| Bowbells Public School | $18,304 |
| Bowman County School District #1 | $53,321 |
| Burke Central *hold ESSER payments until HB1013 Annual Report Corrected* | $24,340 |
| Carrington Public School *SAM.gov Expired | $72,805 |
| Cavalier Public School | $78,865 |
| Center-Stanton Public School | $47,867 |
| Central Cass Schools | $93,219 |
| Central Valley Public School | $26,574 |
| Dakota Prairie Public School | $86,693 |
| Devils Lake Public Schools | $612,791 |
| Dickinson Public Schools | $705,881 |
| Divide County School District | $92,176 |
| Drayton Public School | $82,057 |
| Dunseith Public Schools | $800,991 |
| Edgeley Public School | $55,605 |
| Edmore Public School | $17,852 |
| Eight Mile School District #6 | $117,269 |
| Elgin-New Leipzig School | $57,582 |
| Ellendale Public School | $72,074 |
| Emerado Public School District #127 | $140,797 |
| Enderlin Area Schools | $70,753 |
| Fairmount Public School | $55,631 |
| Fargo Public Schools | $3,275,476 |
| Fessenden-Bowdon 25 | $26,564 |
| Flasher Public School District #39 | $50,874 |
| Fordville-Lankin Public School *hold ESSER payments until HB1013 Annual Report Submitted* | $6,000 |
| Fort Ransom Elementary School | $6,000 |
| Fort Totten 30 | $398,754 |
| Fort Yates Public School | $420,837 |
| Gackle-Streeter Public School | $39,997 |
| Garrison Public Schools | $87,815 |
| Glen Ullin Public School | $28,345 |
| Glenburn Public School | $102,687 |
| Grafton Public Schools **now part of Grafton 18 | $333,349 |
| Grand Forks Public Schools | $2,100,205 |
| Grenora Public School | $63,993 |
| Griggs County Central School District | $62,468 |
| Halliday Public School *School Closed* | $6,000 |
| Hankinson Public School | $46,143 |
| Harvey Public School District #38 | $87,428 |
| Hatton Eielson School | $50,091 |
| Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock Public School | $32,171 |
| Hazen Public Schools | $58,648 |
| Hebron Public School | $47,849 |
| Hettinger Public School | $43,059 |
| Hillsboro Public Schools | $89,718 |
| Horse Creek Public School District | $6,000 |
| Jamestown Public Schools | $563,878 |
| Kenmare School District #28 | $69,448 |
| Kensal Public School | $6,000 |
| Kidder County School District #1 | $103,036 |
| Killdeer Public School District #16 | $93,851 |
| Kindred Public School District #2 | $27,724 |
| Kulm Public School | $40,922 |
| Lakota School District 66 | $35,291 |
| LaMoure Public School | $75,129 |
| Langdon Area Schools | $76,397 |
| Larimore Public School District | $65,319 |
| Leeds Public School ***SAM.gov Expired*** | $36,853 |
| Lewis and Clark Public School District #161 | $48,002 |
| Lidgerwood Public School | $51,223 |
| Linton Public School | $61,028 |
| Lisbon 19 | $78,881 |
| Litchville-Marion School District 46 | $48,116 |
| Little Heart 4 (Saint Anthony) | $6,000 |
| Lone Tree - Golva Public School | $6,000 |
| Maddock School District | $49,659 |
| Mandan Public Schools | $882,429 |
| Mandaree School District | $203,103 |
| Manning Elementary School *hold ESSER payments until HB1013 Annual Report Submitted* | $6,000 |
| Manvel Public School | $30,154 |
| Maple Valley School District | $63,408 |
| Mapleton Elementary School | $16,749 |
| Marmarth Public School | $6,000 |
| Max Public Schools | $51,201 |
| May-Port CG School District | $87,181 |
| McClusky Schools | $59,949 |
| McKenzie County School District #1 | $248,512 |
| Medina Public School District 3 | $48,397 |
| Menoken School | $6,000 |
| Midkota Public School | $55,251 |
| Midway Public School | $66,489 |
| Milnor Public Schools | $70,518 |
| Minnewaukan School District No. 5 | $358,182 |
| Minot Public Schools | $1,590,472 |
| Minto Public School | $113,457 |
| Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 1 | $51,017 |
| Montpelier Public School | $46,332 |
| Mott-Regent School District | $51,415 |
| Mt Pleasant School District #4 | $106,607 |
| Munich Public School | $6,000 |
| Napoleon Public School | $44,013 |
| Naughton Elementary | $6,000 |
| Nedrose Schools | $152,801 |
| Nesson Public School District #2 | $46,158 |
| New England Public Schools *SAM.gov Expired* | $73,992 |
| New Rockford-Sheyenne 2 | $63,005 |
| New Salem-Almont Public Schools | $46,337 |
| New Town Public Schools *SAM.gov Expired* | $518,602 |
| Newburg United Public School | $19,367 |
| North Border School District | $73,890 |
| North Sargent 3 | $35,707 |
| North Star Schools | $65,272 |
| Northern Cass School District 97 | $60,236 |
| Northwood Public School | $54,718 |
| Oakes Public Schools | $78,255 |
| Oberon Public School | $94,231 |
| Park River Area Schools | $75,738 |
| Parshall Public Schools *SAM.gov Expired* | $152,926 |
| Pingree-Buchanan Public Schools | $35,807 |
| Powers Lake School | $21,027 |
| Richardton-Taylor Public School District | $70,142 |
| Richland School District #44 | $39,002 |
| Rolette Public School | $99,724 |
| Roosevelt Public School | $30,656 |
| Rugby Public School | $118,101 |
| Sargent Central Public School | $38,300 |
| Sawyer Public School District | $16,814 |
| Scranton Public School | $23,204 |
| Selfridge Public School | $131,964 |
| Solen School District #3 | $310,562 |
| South Heart School | $45,396 |
| South Prairie School District | $78,827 |
| St. John School District #3 | $538,063 |
| Stanley Community Schools | $94,805 |
| Starkweather Public School | $27,484 |
| Strasburg Public School | $40,046 |
| Surrey Public School | $52,355 |
| Sweet Briar 17 | $6,000 |
| TGU School District | $94,290 |
| Thompson Public Schools | $15,048 |
| Tioga Public School District #15 | $50,674 |
| Turtle Lake-Mercer Public School | $25,973 |
| Twin Buttes Elementary School | $59,881 |
| Underwood Public School | $28,545 |
| United Public Schools **SAM.gov Expired** | $83,176 |
| Valley City Public School District | $296,929 |
| Valley-Edinburg School District #118 | $49,075 |
| Velva Public School | $75,306 |
| Wahpeton Public School District | $348,279 |
| Warwick Public Schools | $385,184 |
| Washburn School District *hold ESSER payments until HB1013 Annual Report Submitted* | $39,634 |
| West Fargo Public Schools | $1,749,194 |
| Westhope Public School | $26,416 |
| White Shield School District | $176,597 |
| Williston Public School District #1 do not use **now part of Williston Basin 7 | $768,074 |
| Wilton Public School | $29,259 |
| Wing Public School | $16,689 |
| Wishek Public School | $63,143 |
| Wyndmere Public School | $27,192 |
| Yellowstone 14 | $20,967 |
| Zeeland Public School | $28,145 |
ESSER II
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER II funding allocated to each district in North Dakota.
| North Dakota ESSER II allocation by district | |
|---|---|
| District name | Total ESSER II allocation |
| Alexander Public School | $149,212 |
| Anamoose Public School | $380,272 |
| Apple Creek School | $20,000 |
| Ashley Public School | $143,169 |
| Barnes County North Public School | $261,227 |
| Beach School District #3 | $294,547 |
| Belcourt School District #7 | $9,599,249 |
| Belfield Public School | $161,614 |
| Beulah School District 27 | $383,610 |
| Billings County School District | $20,000 |
| Bismarck Public Schools | $9,566,933 |
| Bottineau School District 1 | $698,805 |
| Bowbells Public School | $73,272 |
| Bowman County School District #1 | $213,777 |
| Burke Central | $99,919 |
| Carrington Public School | $285,739 |
| Cavalier Public School | $355,673 |
| Center-Stanton Public School | $217,354 |
| Central Cass Schools | $451,563 |
| Central Valley Public School | $120,931 |
| Dakota Prairie Public School | $291,957 |
| Devils Lake Public Schools | $2,455,715 |
| Dickinson Public Schools | $3,134,586 |
| Divide County School District | $361,288 |
| Drayton Public School *No additional Federal payments will be made until the Federal Title Monitoring submissions are completed and submitted to lnord@nd.gov | $309,883 |
| Dunseith Public Schools | $3,440,090 |
| Edgeley Public School | $237,739 |
| Edmore Public School | $124,906 |
| Eight Mile School District #6 | $469,557 |
| Elgin-New Leipzig School | $230,747 |
| Ellendale Public School | $287,056 |
| Emerado Public School District #127 | $496,935 |
| Enderlin Area Schools | $336,628 |
| Fairmount Public School | $228,396 |
| Fargo Public Schools | $13,420,086 |
| Fessenden-Bowdon 25 | $103,422 |
| Finley-Sharon Public School | $97,073 |
| Flasher Public School District #39 | $200,431 |
| Fordville-Lankin Public School | $20,000 |
| Fort Ransom Elementary School | $20,000 |
| Fort Totten 30 | $1,598,139 |
| Fort Yates Public School | $1,484,076 |
| Gackle-Streeter Public School | $160,334 |
| Garrison Public Schools | $345,413 |
| Glen Ullin Public School | $164,269 |
| Glenburn Public School | $369,665 |
| Goodrich Public School | $20,000 |
| Grafton 18 | $1,368,386 |
| Grand Forks Public Schools | $8,283,134 |
| Grenora Public School | $275,377 |
| Griggs County Central School District | $302,584 |
| Hankinson Public School | $258,724 |
| Harvey Public School District #38 | $377,388 |
| Hatton Eielson School | $130,605 |
| Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock Public School | $137,861 |
| Hazen Public Schools | $240,538 |
| Hebron Public School | $160,553 |
| Hettinger Public School | $153,719 |
| Hillsboro Public Schools | $359,014 |
| Hope Page 85 | $97,824 |
| Jamestown Public Schools | $2,259,400 |
| Kenmare School District #28 | $238,066 |
| Kensal Public School | $20,000 |
| Kidder County School District #1 | $413,009 |
| Killdeer Public School District #16 | $400,405 |
| Kindred Public School District #2 | $111,008 |
| Kulm Public School | $170,005 |
| Lakota School District 66 | $141,465 |
| LaMoure Public School | $268,028 |
| Langdon Area Schools | $405,211 |
| Larimore Public School District | $303,409 |
| Leeds Public School | $171,100 |
| Lewis and Clark Public School District #161 | $187,433 |
| Lidgerwood Public School | $171,969 |
| Linton Public School | $270,177 |
| Lisbon 19 | $316,253 |
| Litchville-Marion School District 46 | $222,716 |
| Little Heart 4 (Saint Anthony) | $20,000 |
| Lone Tree - Golva Public School | $85,156 |
| Maddock School District | $199,027 |
| Mandan Public Schools | $3,535,031 |
| Mandaree School District | $813,986 |
| Manning Elementary School | $20,000 |
| Manvel Public School | $131,993 |
| Maple Valley School District | $186,483 |
| Marmarth Public School | $20,000 |
| Max Public Schools | $205,275 |
| May-Port CG School District | $349,455 |
| McClusky Public School District 19 | $175,667 |
| McKenzie County School District #1 | $1,698,506 |
| Medina Public School District 3 | $207,589 |
| Menoken School | $20,000 |
| Midkota Public School | $221,187 |
| Midway Public School | $266,569 |
| Milnor Public Schools | $282,481 |
| Minnewaukan School District No. 5 | $1,435,275 |
| Minot Public Schools | $6,404,930 |
| Minto Public School | $544,945 |
| Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 1 | $204,541 |
| Montpelier Public School | $179,305 |
| Mott-Regent School District | $228,645 |
| Mt Pleasant School District #4 | $421,689 |
| Munich Public School | $20,000 |
| Napoleon Public School | $176,186 |
| Naughton Elementary | $20,000 |
| Nedrose Schools | $704,524 |
| Nesson Public School District #2 | $162,153 |
| New England Public Schools | $369,119 |
| New Rockford-Sheyenne 2 | $253,379 |
| New Salem-Almont Public Schools | $190,407 |
| New Town Public Schools | $2,076,474 |
| Newburg United Public School | $84,283 |
| North Border School District | $296,083 |
| North Sargent 3 | $244,914 |
| North Star Schools | $248,050 |
| Northern Cass School District 97 | $213,069 |
| Northwood Public School | $245,096 |
| Oakes Public Schools | $313,558 |
| Oberon Public School | $377,611 |
| Park River Area Schools | $376,802 |
| Parshall Public Schools | $612,767 |
| Pingree-Buchanan Public Schools | $169,405 |
| Powers Lake School | $84,300 |
| Richardton-Taylor Public School District | $279,638 |
| Richland School District #44 | $134,805 |
| Rolette Public School | $399,502 |
| Roosevelt Public School | $149,700 |
| Rugby Public School | $515,761 |
| Sargent Central Public School | $134,368 |
| Sawyer Public School District | $88,726 |
| Scranton Public School | $93,290 |
| Selfridge Public School | $500,037 |
| Solen School District #3 | $1,243,935 |
| South Heart School | $187,200 |
| South Prairie School District | $276,661 |
| St. John School District #3 | $2,155,849 |
| Stanley Community Schools | $430,248 |
| Starkweather Public School | $123,599 |
| Sterling Elementary School | $20,000 |
| Strasburg Public School | $160,371 |
| Surrey Public School | $192,687 |
| Sweet Briar 17 | $20,000 |
| TGU School District | $377,685 |
| Thompson Public Schools | $60,327 |
| Tioga Public School District #15 | $217,576 |
| Turtle Lake-Mercer Public School | $104,130 |
| Twin Buttes Elementary School | $239,029 |
| Underwood Public School | $114,322 |
| United Public Schools | $314,700 |
| Valley City Public School District | $1,189,839 |
| Valley-Edinburg School District #118 | $244,958 |
| Velva Public School | $301,924 |
| Wahpeton Public School District | $1,538,451 |
| Warwick Public Schools | $1,624,233 |
| Washburn School District | $139,797 |
| West Fargo Public Schools | $7,012,926 |
| Westhope Public School | $175,374 |
| Williston Basin #7 | $3,208,823 |
| Wilton Public School | $184,209 |
| Wishek Public School | $316,465 |
| Wyndmere Public School | $131,195 |
| Yellowstone 14 | $78,527 |
| Zeeland Public School | $115,596 |
ESSER III
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER III funding allocated to each district in North Dakota.
| North Dakota ESSER III allocation by district | |
|---|---|
| District name | Total ESSER III allocation |
| Alexander Public School | $333,688 |
| Anamoose Public School | $850,416 |
| Apple Creek School | $45,000 |
| Ashley Public School | $320,174 |
| Barnes County North Public School | $584,192 |
| Beach School District #3 | $658,706 |
| Belcourt School District #7 | $21,467,159 |
| Belfield Public School | $361,424 |
| Beulah School District 27 | $857,881 |
| Billings County School District | $45,000 |
| Bismarck Public Schools | $21,394,889 |
| Bottineau School District 1 | $1,562,763 |
| Bowbells Public School | $163,861 |
| Bowman County School District #1 | $478,077 |
| Carrington Public School | $639,008 |
| Cavalier Public School | $795,404 |
| Center-Stanton Public School | $486,077 |
| Central Cass Schools | $1,009,848 |
| Central Valley Public School | $270,443 |
| Dakota Prairie Public School | $652,913 |
| Devils Lake Public Schools | $5,491,806 |
| Dickinson Public Schools | $7,009,990 |
| Divide County School District | $807,961 |
| Drayton Public School | $693,003 |
| Dunseith Public Schools | $7,693,200 |
| Edgeley Public School | $531,665 |
| Edmore Public School | $279,331 |
| Eight Mile School District #6 | $1,050,088 |
| Elgin-New Leipzig School | $516,027 |
| Ellendale Public School | $641,953 |
| Emerado Public School District #127 | $1,109,624 |
| Enderlin Area Schools | $752,813 |
| Fairmount Public School | $510,769 |
| Fargo Public Schools | $30,011,836 |
| Fessenden-Bowdon 25 | $231,287 |
| Finley-Sharon Public School | $217,088 |
| Flasher Public School District #39 | $448,232 |
| Fort Ransom Elementary School | $45,000 |
| Fort Totten 30 | $3,573,976 |
| Fort Yates Public School | $3,318,893 |
| Gackle-Streeter Public School | $358,561 |
| Garrison Public Schools | $772,459 |
| Glen Ullin Public School | $367,360 |
| Goodrich Public School do not use **now part of McClusky-Goodrich 29** | |
| Grafton 18 | $3,060,171 |
| Grand Forks Public Schools | $18,523,880 |
| Grenora Public School | $615,837 |
| Griggs County Central School District | $676,679 |
| Hankinson Public School | $578,595 |
| Harvey Public School District #38 | $843,968 |
| Hatton Eielson School | $292,077 |
| Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock Public School | $308,303 |
| Hazen Public Schools | $537,925 |
| Hebron Public School | $359,051 |
| Hettinger Public School | $343,767 |
| Hillsboro Public Schools | $802,876 |
| Hope Page 85 | $218,768 |
| Jamestown Public Schools | $5,052,779 |
| Kenmare School District #28 | $532,396 |
| Kensal Public School | $45,000 |
| Kidder County School District #1 | $923,627 |
| Killdeer Public School District #16 | $895,439 |
| Kindred Public School District #2 | $248,251 |
| Kulm Public School | $380,188 |
| Lakota School District 66 | $316,363 |
| LaMoure Public School | $599,400 |
| Langdon Area Schools | $906,189 |
| Larimore Public School District | $678,525 |
| Leeds Public School | $382,636 |
| Lewis and Clark Public School District #161 | $419,163 |
| Lidgerwood Public School | $384,580 |
| Linton Public School | $604,206 |
| Lisbon 19 | $707,247 |
| Litchville-Marion School District 46 | $498,069 |
| Little Heart 4 (Saint Anthony) | $45,000 |
| Lone Tree - Golva Public School | $190,437 |
| Maddock School District | $445,091 |
| Mandan Public Schools | $7,905,520 |
| Mandaree School District | $1,820,347 |
| Manvel Public School | $295,180 |
| Maple Valley School District | $417,039 |
| Marmarth Public School | $45,000 |
| Max Public Schools | $459,064 |
| May-Port CG School District | $781,498 |
| McClusky Public School District 19 do not use **now part of McClusky-Goodrich 29** | |
| McKenzie County School District #1 | $3,798,431 |
| Medina Public School District 3 | $464,239 |
| Menoken School | $45,000 |
| Midkota Public School | $494,649 |
| Midway Public School | $596,139 |
| Milnor Public Schools | $631,724 |
| Minnewaukan School District No. 5 | $3,209,758 |
| Minot Public Schools | $14,323,581 |
| Minto Public School | $1,218,680 |
| Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 1 | $457,422 |
| Montpelier Public School | $400,986 |
| Mott-Regent School District | $511,327 |
| Mt Pleasant School District #4 | $943,039 |
| Munich Public School | $45,000 |
| Napoleon Public School | $394,011 |
| Naughton Elementary | $45,000 |
| Nedrose Schools | $1,575,554 |
| Nesson Public School District #2 | $362,629 |
| New England Public Schools | $825,475 |
| New Rockford-Sheyenne 2 | $566,640 |
| New Salem-Almont Public Schools | $425,814 |
| New Town Public Schools | $4,643,695 |
| Newburg United Public School | $188,486 |
| North Border School District | $662,141 |
| North Sargent 3 | $547,710 |
| North Star Schools | $554,723 |
| Northern Cass School District 97 | $476,495 |
| Northwood Public School | $548,117 |
| Oakes Public Schools | $701,221 |
| Oberon Public School | $844,465 |
| Park River Area Schools | $842,657 |
| Parshall Public Schools | $1,370,353 |
| Powers Lake School | $188,523 |
| Richardton-Taylor Public School District | $625,366 |
| Richland School District #44 | $301,470 |
| Rolette Public School | $893,421 |
| Roosevelt Public School | $334,780 |
| Rugby Public School | $1,153,415 |
| Sargent Central Public School | $300,491 |
| Sawyer Public School District | $198,422 |
| Scranton Public School | $208,629 |
| Selfridge Public School | $1,118,252 |
| Solen School District #3 | $2,781,857 |
| South Prairie School District | $618,707 |
| St. John School District #3 | $4,821,205 |
| Stanley Community Schools | $962,180 |
| Starkweather Public School | $276,409 |
| Sterling Elementary School | $45,000 |
| Strasburg Public School | $358,644 |
| Surrey Public School | $430,914 |
| Sweet Briar 17 | $45,000 |
| TGU School District | $844,631 |
| Thompson Public Schools | $134,913 |
| Tioga Public School District #15 | $486,574 |
| Turtle Lake-Mercer Public School | $232,869 |
| Underwood Public School | $255,663 |
| United Public Schools | $703,775 |
| Valley City Public School District | $2,660,880 |
| Valley-Edinburg School District #118 | $547,808 |
| Velva Public School | $675,203 |
| Wahpeton Public School District | $3,440,495 |
| Warwick Public Schools | $3,632,333 |
| Washburn School District | $312,634 |
| West Fargo Public Schools | $15,683,269 |
| Westhope Public School | $392,195 |
| White Shield School District | |
| Williston Basin #7 | $7,206,560 |
| Wilton Public School | $411,954 |
| Wishek Public School | $707,722 |
| Wyndmere Public School | |
| Yellowstone 14 | $175,612 |
| Zeeland Public School | $258,511 |
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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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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