Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) allocation and expenditures by district in Virginia
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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 Virginia'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 Virginia.
| Virginia ESSER I allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER I Allocation |
| Accomack County Public Schools | $1,689,122 |
| Albemarle County Public Schools | $1,249,916 |
| Alexandria City Public Schools | $3,674,941 |
| Alleghany Highlands County Public Schools | $499,731 |
| Amelia County Public Schools | $284,664 |
| Amherst County Public Schools | $809,740 |
| Appomattox County Public Schools | $443,805 |
| Arlington County Public Schools | $2,157,524 |
| Augusta County Public Schools | $1,104,106 |
| Bath County Public Schools | $72,839 |
| Bedford County Public Schools | $1,270,374 |
| Bland County Public Schools | $116,937 |
| Botetourt County Public Schools | $326,445 |
| Bristol City Public Schools | $1,125,839 |
| Brunswick County Public Schools | $654,638 |
| Buchanan County Public Schools | $1,192,597 |
| Buckingham County Public Schools | $571,806 |
| Buena Vista City Public Schools | $207,744 |
| Campbell County Public Schools | $1,301,223 |
| Caroline County Public Schools | $740,347 |
| Carroll County Public Schools | $876,390 |
| Charles City County Public Schools | $146,097 |
| Charlotte County Public Schools | $600,524 |
| Charlottesville City Public Schools | $1,187,446 |
| Chesapeake City Public Schools | $6,321,599 |
| Chesterfield County Public Schools | $5,555,173 |
| Clarke County Public Schools | $148,240 |
| Colonial Heights City Public Schools | $497,137 |
| Covington City Public Schools | $206,857 |
| Craig County Public Schools | $148,504 |
| Culpeper County Public Schools | $1,221,309 |
| Cumberland County Public Schools | $385,006 |
| Danville City Public Schools | $3,174,506 |
| Department Of Juvenile Justice | $140,923 |
| Dickenson County Public Schools | $753,652 |
| Dinwiddie County Public Schools | $658,737 |
| Essex County Public Schools | $407,703 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | $21,691,840 |
| Falls Church City Public Schools | $37,599 |
| Fauquier County Public Schools | $685,755 |
| Floyd County Public Schools | $388,099 |
| Fluvanna County Public Schools | $298,294 |
| Franklin City Public Schools | $617,639 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | $1,471,181 |
| Frederick County Public Schools | $1,145,414 |
| Fredericksburg City Public Schools | $869,035 |
| Galax City Public Schools | $487,023 |
| Giles County Public Schools | $383,595 |
| Gloucester County Public Schools | $624,512 |
| Goochland County Public Schools | $251,536 |
| Grayson County Public Schools | $570,541 |
| Greene County Public Schools | $357,664 |
| Greensville County Public Schools | $809,246 |
| Halifax County Public Schools | $1,305,773 |
| Hampton City Public Schools | $5,788,674 |
| Hanover County Public Schools | $914,287 |
| Harrisonburg City Public Schools | $1,243,334 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | $9,446,667 |
| Henry County Public Schools | $2,098,232 |
| Highland County Public Schools | $42,913 |
| Hopewell City Public Schools | $1,463,700 |
| Isle Of Wight County Public Schools | $529,093 |
| King And Queen County Public Schools | $169,144 |
| King George County Public Schools | $331,690 |
| King William County Public Schools | $199,494 |
| Lancaster County Public Schools | $335,703 |
| Lee County Public Schools | $1,383,534 |
| Lexington City Public Schools | $51,294 |
| Loudoun County Public Schools | $1,263,729 |
| Louisa County Public Schools | $772,001 |
| Lunenburg County Public Schools | $465,285 |
| Lynchburg City Public Schools | $3,330,954 |
| Madison County Public Schools | $314,923 |
| Manassas City Public Schools | $1,050,950 |
| Manassas Park City Public Schools | $272,826 |
| Martinsville City Public Schools | $925,677 |
| Mathews County Public Schools | $163,099 |
| Mecklenburg County Public Schools | $1,170,276 |
| Middlesex County Public Schools | $290,923 |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | $1,524,626 |
| Nelson County Public Schools | $423,749 |
| New Kent County Public Schools | $214,439 |
| Newport News City Public Schools | $9,531,816 |
| Norfolk City Public Schools | $12,794,821 |
| Northampton County Public Schools | $586,810 |
| Northumberland County Public Schools | $406,918 |
| Norton City Public Schools | $217,211 |
| Nottoway County Public Schools | $691,128 |
| Orange County Public Schools | $614,403 |
| Page County Public Schools | $725,978 |
| Patrick County Public Schools | $559,490 |
| Petersburg City Public Schools | $2,581,628 |
| Pittsylvania County Public Schools | $1,899,667 |
| Poquoson City Public Schools | $55,281 |
| Portsmouth City Public Schools | $5,351,724 |
| Powhatan County Public Schools | $233,082 |
| Prince Edward County Public Schools | $789,501 |
| Prince George County Public Schools | $526,376 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | $9,324,329 |
| Pulaski County Public Schools | $854,831 |
| Radford City Public Schools | $276,542 |
| Rappahannock County Public Schools | $143,064 |
| Richmond City Public Schools | $13,658,364 |
| Richmond County Public Schools | $246,108 |
| Roanoke City Public Schools | $5,840,468 |
| Roanoke County Public Schools | $1,080,055 |
| Rockbridge County Public Schools | $445,736 |
| Rockingham County Public Schools | $1,397,253 |
| Russell County Public Schools | $1,035,935 |
| Salem City Public Schools | $447,921 |
| Scott County Public Schools | $660,166 |
| Shenandoah County Public Schools | $951,181 |
| Smyth County Public Schools | $488,098 |
| Southampton County Public Schools | $1,102,485 |
| Spotsylvania County Public Schools | $2,385,451 |
| Stafford County Public Schools | $1,571,030 |
| Staunton City Public Schools | $693,287 |
| Suffolk City Public Schools | $2,876,963 |
| Surry County Public Schools | $171,429 |
| Sussex County Public Schools | $424,144 |
| Tazewell County Public Schools | $1,450,083 |
| Town Of Colonial Beach Public Schools | $253,332 |
| Town Of West Point Public Schools | $41,712 |
| Virginia Beach City Public Schools | $10,141,570 |
| Virginia School For The Deaf And The Blind | $74,304 |
| Warren County Public Schools | $786,820 |
| Washington County Public Schools | $1,493,417 |
| Waynesboro City Public Schools | $862,915 |
| Westmoreland County Public Schools | $566,696 |
| Williamsburg-James City County | $1,147,100 |
| Winchester City Public Schools | $945,562 |
| Wise County Public Schools | $1,810,940 |
| Wythe County Public Schools | $840,345 |
| York County Public Schools | $583,700 |
ESSER II
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER II funding allocated to each district in Virginia.
| Virginia ESSER II allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER II Allocation |
| Accomack County Public Schools | $5,956,306 |
| Albemarle County Public Schools | $5,109,582 |
| Alexandria City Public Schools | $15,491,978 |
| Alleghany Highlands County Public Schools | $2,380,887 |
| Amelia County Public Schools | $955,662 |
| Amherst County Public Schools | $3,251,181 |
| Appomattox County Public Schools | $1,726,862 |
| Arlington County Public Schools | $8,395,508 |
| Augusta County Public Schools | $4,434,969 |
| Bath County Public Schools | $271,464 |
| Bedford County Public Schools | $5,378,493 |
| Bland County Public Schools | $429,960 |
| Botetourt County Public Schools | $1,339,267 |
| Bristol City Public Schools | $4,120,244 |
| Brunswick County Public Schools | $2,406,465 |
| Buchanan County Public Schools | $4,541,891 |
| Buckingham County Public Schools | $2,190,367 |
| Buena Vista City Public Schools | $711,499 |
| Campbell County Public Schools | $5,189,342 |
| Caroline County Public Schools | $2,835,980 |
| Carroll County Public Schools | $3,710,448 |
| Charles City County Public Schools | $568,046 |
| Charlotte County Public Schools | $2,358,000 |
| Charlottesville City Public Schools | $4,481,993 |
| Chesapeake City Public Schools | $22,751,988 |
| Chesterfield County Public Schools | $22,893,748 |
| Clarke County Public Schools | $565,506 |
| Colonial Heights City Public Schools | $2,104,773 |
| Covington City Public Schools | $348,581 |
| Craig County Public Schools | $575,453 |
| Culpeper County Public Schools | $4,560,941 |
| Cumberland County Public Schools | $1,474,809 |
| Danville City Public Schools | $13,212,918 |
| Department Of Juvenile Justice | $539,820 |
| Dickenson County Public Schools | $2,870,184 |
| Dinwiddie County Public Schools | $2,666,475 |
| Essex County Public Schools | $1,437,968 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | $83,989,803 |
| Falls Church City Public Schools | $144,028 |
| Fauquier County Public Schools | $2,626,858 |
| Floyd County Public Schools | $1,643,128 |
| Fluvanna County Public Schools | $1,210,697 |
| Franklin City Public Schools | $2,552,351 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | $6,556,218 |
| Frederick County Public Schools | $4,806,078 |
| Fredericksburg City Public Schools | $3,492,618 |
| Galax City Public Schools | $2,061,950 |
| Giles County Public Schools | $1,615,426 |
| Gloucester County Public Schools | $2,448,045 |
| Goochland County Public Schools | $1,049,998 |
| Grayson County Public Schools | $2,398,661 |
| Greene County Public Schools | $1,491,894 |
| Greensville County Public Schools | $3,310,808 |
| Halifax County Public Schools | $4,973,722 |
| Hampton City Public Schools | $24,400,757 |
| Hanover County Public Schools | $3,714,319 |
| Harrisonburg City Public Schools | $5,264,012 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | $34,872,307 |
| Henry County Public Schools | $8,037,505 |
| Highland County Public Schools | $159,894 |
| Hopewell City Public Schools | $5,579,624 |
| Isle Of Wight County Public Schools | $2,114,256 |
| King And Queen County Public Schools | $683,611 |
| King George County Public Schools | $1,371,409 |
| King William County Public Schools | $792,846 |
| Lancaster County Public Schools | $1,291,500 |
| Lee County Public Schools | $5,383,059 |
| Lexington City Public Schools | $196,489 |
| Loudoun County Public Schools | $4,840,849 |
| Louisa County Public Schools | $3,013,815 |
| Lunenburg County Public Schools | $1,772,947 |
| Lynchburg City Public Schools | $12,651,532 |
| Madison County Public Schools | $1,207,356 |
| Manassas City Public Schools | $4,349,083 |
| Manassas Park City Public Schools | $1,124,996 |
| Martinsville City Public Schools | $3,919,118 |
| Mathews County Public Schools | $675,311 |
| Mecklenburg County Public Schools | $5,152,855 |
| Middlesex County Public Schools | $1,208,393 |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | $6,047,398 |
| Nelson County Public Schools | $1,646,927 |
| New Kent County Public Schools | $821,433 |
| Newport News City Public Schools | $36,575,090 |
| Norfolk City Public Schools | $50,449,127 |
| Northampton County Public Schools | $2,247,839 |
| Northumberland County Public Schools | $1,550,185 |
| Norton City Public Schools | $841,612 |
| Nottoway County Public Schools | $2,724,836 |
| Orange County Public Schools | $2,353,538 |
| Page County Public Schools | $2,811,625 |
| Patrick County Public Schools | $2,143,187 |
| Petersburg City Public Schools | $10,066,654 |
| Pittsylvania County Public Schools | $6,855,980 |
| Poquoson City Public Schools | $206,729 |
| Portsmouth City Public Schools | $20,797,554 |
| Powhatan County Public Schools | $892,845 |
| Prince Edward County Public Schools | $3,143,231 |
| Prince George County Public Schools | $2,221,099 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | $39,124,565 |
| Pulaski County Public Schools | $3,618,543 |
| Radford City Public Schools | $1,059,325 |
| Rappahannock County Public Schools | $503,634 |
| Richmond City Public Schools | $54,683,345 |
| Richmond County Public Schools | $1,033,660 |
| Roanoke City Public Schools | $23,039,853 |
| Roanoke County Public Schools | $4,340,714 |
| Rockbridge County Public Schools | $1,839,628 |
| Rockingham County Public Schools | $4,837,828 |
| Russell County Public Schools | $3,642,540 |
| Salem City Public Schools | $1,674,195 |
| Scott County Public Schools | $2,795,002 |
| Shenandoah County Public Schools | $3,643,603 |
| Smyth County Public Schools | $4,275,870 |
| Southampton County Public Schools | $1,925,536 |
| Spotsylvania County Public Schools | $10,099,491 |
| Stafford County Public Schools | $6,335,589 |
| Staunton City Public Schools | $2,786,686 |
| Suffolk City Public Schools | $12,180,448 |
| Surry County Public Schools | $688,267 |
| Sussex County Public Schools | $1,795,734 |
| Tazewell County Public Schools | $6,120,037 |
| Town Of Colonial Beach Public Schools | $1,023,800 |
| Town Of West Point Public Schools | $143,062 |
| Virginia Beach City Public Schools | $36,709,198 |
| Virginia School For The Deaf And The Blind | $300,386 |
| Warren County Public Schools | $3,085,534 |
| Washington County Public Schools | $5,923,029 |
| Waynesboro City Public Schools | $3,253,870 |
| Westmoreland County Public Schools | $1,999,067 |
| Williamsburg-James City County | $4,934,950 |
| Winchester City Public Schools | $3,646,162 |
| Wise County Public Schools | $7,667,132 |
| Wythe County Public Schools | $3,514,272 |
| York County Public Schools | $2,321,396 |
ESSER III
The table below shows the total amount of ESSER III funding allocated to each district in Virginia.
| Virginia ESSER III allocation and expenditures by district | |
|---|---|
| District Name | Total ESSER III Allocation |
| Accomack County Public Schools | $13,386,518 |
| Albemarle County Public Schools | $11,483,545 |
| Alexandria City Public Schools | $34,817,490 |
| Alleghany Highlands County Public Schools | $5,423,518 |
| Amelia County Public Schools | $2,147,806 |
| Amherst County Public Schools | $7,306,875 |
| Appomattox County Public Schools | $3,881,042 |
| Arlington County Public Schools | $18,868,508 |
| Augusta County Public Schools | $9,967,383 |
| Bath County Public Schools | $610,103 |
| Bedford County Public Schools | $12,087,910 |
| Bland County Public Schools | $966,315 |
| Botetourt County Public Schools | $3,009,939 |
| Bristol City Public Schools | $9,260,055 |
| Brunswick County Public Schools | $5,408,416 |
| Buchanan County Public Schools | $10,207,686 |
| Buckingham County Public Schools | $4,922,746 |
| Buena Vista City Public Schools | $1,599,061 |
| Campbell County Public Schools | $11,662,801 |
| Caroline County Public Schools | $6,373,732 |
| Carroll County Public Schools | $8,339,058 |
| Charles City County Public Schools | $1,276,656 |
| Charlotte County Public Schools | $5,299,495 |
| Charlottesville City Public Schools | $10,073,068 |
| Chesapeake City Public Schools | $51,134,021 |
| Chesterfield County Public Schools | $51,452,621 |
| Clarke County Public Schools | $1,270,948 |
| Colonial Heights City Public Schools | $4,730,378 |
| Covington City Public Schools | $710,833 |
| Craig County Public Schools | $1,293,303 |
| Culpeper County Public Schools | $10,250,501 |
| Cumberland County Public Schools | $3,314,564 |
| Danville City Public Schools | $29,695,411 |
| Department Of Juvenile Justice | $1,213,219 |
| Dickenson County Public Schools | $6,450,604 |
| Dinwiddie County Public Schools | $5,992,778 |
| Essex County Public Schools | $3,231,765 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | $188,763,129 |
| Falls Church City Public Schools | $323,695 |
| Fauquier County Public Schools | $5,903,740 |
| Floyd County Public Schools | $3,692,854 |
| Fluvanna County Public Schools | $2,720,985 |
| Franklin City Public Schools | $5,736,288 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | $14,734,792 |
| Frederick County Public Schools | $10,801,435 |
| Fredericksburg City Public Schools | $7,849,495 |
| Galax City Public Schools | $4,634,136 |
| Giles County Public Schools | $3,630,594 |
| Gloucester County Public Schools | $5,501,866 |
| Goochland County Public Schools | $2,359,820 |
| Grayson County Public Schools | $5,390,879 |
| Greene County Public Schools | $3,352,961 |
| Greensville County Public Schools | $7,440,885 |
| Halifax County Public Schools | $11,178,206 |
| Hampton City Public Schools | $54,839,553 |
| Hanover County Public Schools | $8,347,757 |
| Harrisonburg City Public Schools | $11,830,620 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | $78,373,870 |
| Henry County Public Schools | $18,063,913 |
| Highland County Public Schools | $359,355 |
| Hopewell City Public Schools | $12,539,942 |
| Isle Of Wight County Public Schools | $4,751,690 |
| King And Queen County Public Schools | $1,536,383 |
| King George County Public Schools | $3,082,178 |
| King William County Public Schools | $1,781,884 |
| Lancaster County Public Schools | $2,902,586 |
| Lee County Public Schools | $12,098,171 |
| Lexington City Public Schools | $441,600 |
| Loudoun County Public Schools | $10,879,580 |
| Louisa County Public Schools | $6,773,408 |
| Lunenburg County Public Schools | $3,984,614 |
| Lynchburg City Public Schools | $28,433,723 |
| Madison County Public Schools | $2,713,476 |
| Manassas City Public Schools | $9,774,360 |
| Manassas Park City Public Schools | $2,528,375 |
| Martinsville City Public Schools | $8,808,033 |
| Mathews County Public Schools | $1,517,730 |
| Mecklenburg County Public Schools | $11,580,800 |
| Middlesex County Public Schools | $2,715,807 |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | $13,591,243 |
| Nelson County Public Schools | $3,701,390 |
| New Kent County Public Schools | $1,846,132 |
| Newport News City Public Schools | $82,200,793 |
| Norfolk City Public Schools | $113,382,038 |
| Northampton County Public Schools | $5,051,912 |
| Northumberland County Public Schools | $3,483,968 |
| Norton City Public Schools | $1,891,484 |
| Nottoway County Public Schools | $6,123,941 |
| Orange County Public Schools | $5,289,466 |
| Page County Public Schools | $6,318,995 |
| Patrick County Public Schools | $4,816,711 |
| Petersburg City Public Schools | $22,624,331 |
| Pittsylvania County Public Schools | $15,408,493 |
| Poquoson City Public Schools | $464,613 |
| Portsmouth City Public Schools | $46,741,523 |
| Powhatan County Public Schools | $2,006,626 |
| Prince Edward County Public Schools | $7,064,264 |
| Prince George County Public Schools | $4,991,815 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | $87,930,619 |
| Pulaski County Public Schools | $8,132,506 |
| Radford City Public Schools | $2,380,783 |
| Rappahannock County Public Schools | $1,131,894 |
| Richmond City Public Schools | $122,898,244 |
| Richmond County Public Schools | $2,323,102 |
| Roanoke City Public Schools | $51,780,984 |
| Roanoke County Public Schools | $9,755,551 |
| Rockbridge County Public Schools | $4,134,478 |
| Rockingham County Public Schools | $10,872,791 |
| Russell County Public Schools | $8,186,437 |
| Salem City Public Schools | $3,762,674 |
| Scott County Public Schools | $6,281,634 |
| Shenandoah County Public Schools | $8,188,827 |
| Smyth County Public Schools | $9,609,816 |
| Southampton County Public Schools | $4,327,552 |
| Spotsylvania County Public Schools | $22,698,132 |
| Stafford County Public Schools | $14,238,937 |
| Staunton City Public Schools | $6,262,946 |
| Suffolk City Public Schools | $27,374,984 |
| Surry County Public Schools | $1,546,848 |
| Sussex County Public Schools | $4,035,828 |
| Tazewell County Public Schools | $13,754,494 |
| Town Of Colonial Beach Public Schools | $2,300,942 |
| Town Of West Point Public Schools | $321,524 |
| Virginia Beach City Public Schools | $82,502,194 |
| Virginia School For The Deaf And The Blind | $675,103 |
| Warren County Public Schools | $6,934,592 |
| Washington County Public Schools | $13,311,729 |
| Waynesboro City Public Schools | $7,312,919 |
| Westmoreland County Public Schools | $4,492,808 |
| Williamsburg-James City County | $11,091,069 |
| Winchester City Public Schools | $8,194,577 |
| Wise County Public Schools | $17,231,519 |
| Wythe County Public Schools | $7,898,160 |
| York County Public Schools | $5,217,228 |
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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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
- ↑ 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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