ESSER Information

The purpose of general ESSER funds is to provide local education agencies (LEAs), such as CFBISD, with funding to address the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had and continues to have on elementary and secondary schools.

A total of $12,418,588,778 is available to the state of Texas. Ninety percent, or $11,176,729,900, will be awarded to eligible LEAs like CFBISD. At this time, only two-thirds, or $8,279,059,186, of the state allocation is available to LEAs at this time.

Information regarding ESSER funding is available on TEA’s ESSER website, as well as additional resources. 

Once LEAs have been awarded ESSER funds, they have until September 2024 to spend the funds they have received. 

The LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders and provide the public an opportunity to provide input on the development of the plan for the use of ESSER funds. Additionally, the LEA must provide an understandable and uniform format for how it will utilize the ESSER funds. Finally, the LEAs plan for ESSER funds will be posted on their public website within 30 days of receiving the ESSER Notice of Grant Award.

LEAs must spend a minimum of 20% of their funds on:

1. Evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning programs, extended day and after school programs, or extended year programs; and
2. Ensure evidence-based interventions respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs to address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as defined by ESEA, Title I, Part A, students experiencing homelessness, and students in foster care. 

The purpose of the ESSER funding is to accelerate student learning to make up for learning lost during the pandemic. TEA encourages LEAs to utilize these funds expeditiously over the spending period to facilitate a more comprehensive long-term approach to learning acceleration, including plans that are currently part of the district’s current plans and strategies. A review of local learning acceleration plans revealed the following suggestions, including, but not limited to:

• Professional Development: high-quality instructional materials, dyslexia training, Texas Reading Academies, and technology integration training
• Extended Instructional Time: extended day, extended year, tutoring, and summer learning opportunities
• Additional Staffing: reduced class sizes, tutoring, small group instruction, recruitment and retention incentive pay, instructional coaching, leadership, and after-school programs
• Facilities: specialized instructional spaces, HVAC, cleaning, and ventilation upgrades
• Technology: student and teacher devices, infrastructure upgrades, learning management systems, and digital tools
• Mental Health and Behavioral Services: social workers, at-risk coordinators, additional counseling services, teacher training, wraparound services, and community partnerships

ESSER funds can be used in any or all of 15 categories. These categories include learning loss, providing professional development, providing social and emotional support, providing and updating technology, and improving indoor air quality. TEA has provided an FAQ to answer questions regarding allowing ESSER spending.

ESSER funding will provide a large influx of financial support to LEAs, which can result in funding deficits after September 2024. Therefore, LEAs must plan for how to efficiently and effectively utilize ESSER funds. TEA has recommended that ESSER funds be used for one-time or short-term expenditures to address identified needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-term uses for ESSER funds are allowable; however, these funds may result in the LEA not having enough funding to continue the activities after the ESSER funding availability ends, potentially causing fiscal deficits.