Under the American Rescue Plan (ARP), school districts around the country are receiving funding to address the impact of COVID-19 on students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. This funding is known as “ESSER III” — “ESSER,” short for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, and “III” being the third set of COVID-related federal relief grants since the pandemic began.
ESSER III supplements ESSER I, created by the CARES Act in March 2020, and ESSER II, created by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act in December 2020. The performance period for the ESSER III funds runs through September 30, 2024.
In the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, the U.S. Department of Education is providing $121.9 billion for local educational agencies (LEAs) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.
The Northern Ozaukee School District has been guaranteed $281,526.00 of ESSER III dollars.
The Northern Ozaukee School District has been preliminarily awarded $640,642.00 of additional ESSER III dollars.
Although there are restrictions, there is some flexibility in how we can spend these one-time funds. We must be cautious in allocating this money where there will be recurring costs post completion of the ESSER III grant.
The requirements of this third installment are more stringent than the first two, with an emphasis on assessing and addressing learning loss. These one-time funds are intended to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 and the effects the pandemic has brought to school districts.
Requirements include:
- Develop and post a Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan
- Reserve a minimum of 20 percent of funds for the purpose of addressing learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions
- Allocate remaining funds toward the safe opening of schools
- Provide stakeholders the opportunity to share feedback on the use of funds to be spent through 2024
NOSD proposed spending plan:
- Academic support materials
- Additional academic staffing (limited term)
- Additional custodial staffing (limited term)
- Additional counselor (limited term)
- Summer school programming
- New/additional technology accessibility and/or devices
- Current ESSER III LEA Plan Report
- WI Department of Public Instruction – ESSER III Information
- ESSER III- Evidence Based Intervention Strategies – Allowable Cost Examples
- Overview of ESSER I, II, and III
Gathering stakeholder feedback is an important part of our ESSER III planning process. Please use this form to share any questions, comments, or concerns you may have about the District’s Safe Return and Use of Funds Plans. Feedback will be collected through April 22, 2022.
