Flint Community Schools

ESSER TIMELINE

The timeline for ESSER funding is delineated by several key points. First, the federal government awards State Education Agencies (SEAs) with funding, and from there, SEAs will be able to award sub-grants to Local Education Agencies (LEAs). While the sub-grant awarding period for ESSER I concluded on 9/30/2021, ESSER II and III are still being awarded to LEAs. At the end of each sub-grant awarding period, LEAs will have 1 year to obligate their share of ESSER funds. At the end of this year, any un-obligated funds must returned to SEAs, and then to the federal government.

ACCEPTABLE USES OF ESSER FUNDS

The CARES, CRRSA, and ARP Acts, authorizing ESSER funds I-III, outline acceptable uses of this federal support. Broadly, legislative priorities include spending to reverse learning losses, support marginalized populations, prevent additional disease spread, provide students with access to cutting edge educational technology, revitalize student mental health, and coordinate the efforts of educators with public health departments (USED, May 2021). In detail, a Frequently Answered Questions document from USED flags allowable uses of ESSER funds as including:

Examples include:

• funding for Summer educational programs;

• the development of curriculum to address learning loss;

• updated HVAC systems;

• improvements to school infrastructure to accommodate students with disabilities;

• new laptops and other technology-based educational tools;

• guidance counseling and mental health resources for students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic;

• extra-curricular activities to improve student wellbeing (art, sports, music, cooking, etc.).