ESSER Deadlines Approaching

Balancing Immediate Needs with Long-Term Priorities

The first deadline for spending the recent Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is just a month away. The good news, though, is that schools may have more time than they realize for allocating the additional funds. 

These deadlines only refer to the obligation to allocate the funds, but schools have an additional 120 days after that to actually liquidate them. 

18-Month Extension for ESSER Funding in Schools

In May of this year, the DOE announced that schools can request an 18-month extension for the American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER funding on a case by case basis. 

The Department of Education in a letter to school administrators regarding the extension strongly advises that schools utilize the emergency funds “to meet the immediate needs of students and to address the long-term impact of the pandemic on academic growth and student mental health.”

Many schools across the nation had to spend the initial funds on recovery and disaster-readiness projects, like HVAC repair and replacement and replacing aging infrastructure within the school. 

The next critical need schools addressed was in technology upgrades that prepare students for a digital society. In the classroom, interactive whiteboards replaced the traditional chalk or marker boards and teachers brought in specialized software to promote academic growth and learning. 

Outside the classroom, many schools evaluated their entire security profile on campus grounds for their ability to protect students, teachers, staff and everyone who walks through the doors. Security cameras were a top choice for their ability to prevent many disturbances and provide answers on others. 

Stakeholders across the spectrum from school board officers to parents are getting involved now at a much more granular level for allocating the remaining funds. For more than half of the district leaders surveyed by EdWeek, the competing pressures of spending deadlines vs. strategic priorities has been their biggest challenge. 

The final month before the first ESSER spending deadline is a good time to step back and reassess which investments will deliver the most value for students for the years ahead. An engaging learning environment and a secure campus build a solid foundation for student growth and achievement.

Learn more about how OneScreen supports school leaders in making technology and security affordable.