As school districts across the country make plans for their stimulus funding, it’s critical that they prioritize the purchases that will spur equitable student growth.
To ensure short-term relief funds have a long-term impact, here are three key strategies district and school leaders can utilize.
Strategy #1: Understand how the funding works and consider its intention.
Not surprisingly, COVID-19 relief legislation is complex.
The CARES, CRRSA, and ARP Acts directed billions of dollars to the Education Stabilization Fund, which then splits into three primary funds:
- The Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER) Fund: Allocated to State Education Agencies (SEAs), who then award at least 90 percent to Local Education Agencies (LEAs)/districts (87.5 percent in the ARP Act).
- The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund: Awarded at the Governor’s discretion to address the highest priority needs across K-12 and public higher education institutions.
- The Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund: Emergency funding for postsecondary institutions.
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