The allowable uses of the funds ranged from capital projects to personnel/professionals to support school districts. According to Marguerite Roza and Katherine Silberstein, in a September 12, 2023, Brookings research report, the average amount spent per student ranged from $1,300 to $6,200, depending on the eligible student percentage.
These added funds enabled school districts to create new programs, supplement existing programs, and add much-needed staff for support purposes. Unfortunately, those funds have now expired, and districts must begin or continue the discussions on whether the budget will be able to support these projects.
Keeping Programs Going
If the district used the funding for construction/maintenance projects, they could fund maintenance on the equipment, service contracts, or supplies through the general fund. These costs could be infused into the current supply/professional service budgets and not negatively affect students or staff.
However, suppose the district used the funds for personnel and outside professionals. In that case, the potential exists for the loss of programs that school community members have come to use and appreciate. School business officials may be able to include these essential resources in their budget by considering these suggestions:
Change the contract to keep the professional: If the district could contract with an agency for a full-time mental health counselor for 10 months, now is a good time to contact the agency to see how the services can be continued. For example, the district might have an opportunity to have a shared contract with another district. While the outcome may not be ideal, having the professional in the district part-time is better than ending the program altogether.
Seek funding from support groups: Part of the ESSER III funding included summer/after-school programs. If these programs are successful and they are difficult to fit within the upcoming budget, consider speaking to community organizations that have programs that support students as part of their charter/purpose. These organizations may be happy to continue to support a summer enrichment program or an after-school homework club.
Team up with another district: As mentioned earlier, consider contacting another district to see if the desired programs can continue through a group effort. Even if the districts are not geographically close, providing services, such as counseling, in an online setting may be feasible.
Double-check numbers: Consider performing an internal audit of your current spending to see if the desired program can be incorporated into the budget. There may be room for the requested program, which is a win-win for everyone.
See if the data suggest the program is worth keeping. Was the summer enrichment program successful in the first year but not as popular in the second? It might not be worth continuing. Having the data available will make the decision-making process easier.
Offset revenue: If a small-budget program was successful and has been requested to stay within the budget, consider looking at district revenues to cover the program's cost. If the district receives a generous amount of interest income and has exceeded the amount budgeted for the current year, perhaps using an updated interest income revenue amount will cover the program's cost that is in jeopardy.
Another revenue source may be facility rentals. Revisiting facility rental fees to decide if they align with market rates may result in more opportunities to maintain programs that could be lost
Was the summer enrichment program successful in the first year but not as popular in the second? It might not be worth continuing.
Another Blow and Some Hope
With the new administration, it’s possible that funding may be reduced for long-time federal grants of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This reduction, in addition to the loss of the federal pandemic funding grants and increasing inflation costs that are crushing budget cushions, may equate to prioritizing needs vs. wants in budget lines.
While the pandemic was a difficult time in everyone’s lives, the grants received did provide financial assistance for districts to ease into the new normal. School business officials have difficult decisions to make that will affect schools across the board. We must remain hopeful that the expected reductions do not occur and that additional funding is offered for school districts to ease the budget burden in these challenging times.