The $189.5 billion Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund was authorized by Congress to help address the urgent needs of schools brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first years of COVID-19, ESSER funding was critical to helping schools quickly and safely reopen and sustain in-person instruction. Three years later,…

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER III) provides federal relief funds to states and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and to address the impact the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had on students. The Department's Educational Plan…