Here's how to check and how it can be spent before the September deadline.
ESSER (the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund), was awarded in three acts. The final act, the American Rescue Plan Act which includes ARP ESSER, also known as ESSER III, was signed into law in March of 2021. The deadline for submitting plans and having them approved for ARP ESSER funding is September 30, 2024.
The intent of ARP ESSER is to provide funds to allow states to sustain the safe operation of schools, and to address the impact of COVID-19 including the social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of the nation’s students.
ARP ESSER requires that 20% of the funds must be used “to address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions and ensure that those interventions respond to students’ … needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups.”
For more information, see the Department of Education’s ARP ESSER Fact Sheet.
To make sure none of your district ESSER funds go unspent, use Georgetown University, Edunomic Lab’s ESSER Expenditure Dashboard which tracks expenditures that have been submitted for reimbursement by district. Click on your state, and follow the link to ESSER Summary to see your state’s ESSER spending sorted by district. Note that spending may exceed what is reported for some districts. You can also check your state’s education department website for tools and guidelines on tracking ESSER funds.