Schools must use some specific ESSER and GEER funds by September 30, 2022, to avoid using the funds. These funds provide districts with an opportunity to use grant money to invest in a safer learning environment for their students.
What Are ESSER and GEER Funds?
Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) and Governor’s Education Emergency Relief Fund (GEER) are funds appropriated to schools to address issues related to the pandemic. The first round of funding must be spent by September 30.
ESSER funds were designated through three pieces of legislation:
- The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed on March 27, 2020, provided $13.5 billion to the ESSER Fund.
- The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA), passed on Dec. 27, 2020, provided $54.3 billion in supplemental ESSER funding, known as the ESSER II fund.
- The American Rescue Plan Act, passed on March 11, 2021, provided $122.7 billion in supplemental ESSER funding, known as the ESSER III fund.
Source: NCSL
The GEER Fund is a federal grant for governors to support and assist local education agencies, higher education institutions, and other educational entities with emergency assistance due to COVID-19. It is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Options for ESSER and GEER Spending
While some of the funds from ESSER and GEER must be reserved to address learning loss, for after school activities, and for summer learning programs, the majority of the funds, which have been approved in all 50 states, are supposed to be used by districts to invest in their students by:
- Providing resources to address individual school needs
- Support the unique needs of low-income children, children with disabilities, students in foster care, ESL students, and other underrepresented youth
- Implement systems to improve LEA preparedness
- Professional development
- Planning for future education disruptions
- Technology and edtech investments
- Student mental health services
- Supplemental education programs
- Other educational investments
Rely on GG4L to Help You Invest in Your Students
GG4L, a Public Benefit Corporation, supports K-12 schools with a number of quality solutions and initiatives. Membership is free for schools. However, we have recently introduced an enterprise edition of our School Passport 2.0. Many schools are using their ESSER and GEER funds to invest in a safer learning environment with School Passport Enterprise Edition.
GG4L’s School Passport Enterprise Edition
School Passport Enterprise Edition enables schools to control their enterprise data, such as class rosters, assessments and demographics, creating a robust two-way data exchange and governance solution across all EdTech SaaS products. It also creates a secure digital learning hub for each school through centrally managed SSO AppStores.
School Passport Enterprise Edition has a few unique features that are uniquely designed to streamline School and District IT:
- Secure Data Exchange Governance with PII-Shield
- Bi-directional data exchanges with SIS, LMS and LDAP simultaneously
- Powerful Student Engagement Reporting
- Device Agnostic SSO AppStore
- Automated Account Provisioning
- Certified School Passport Administrator (CSPA) Program
ESSER and GEER funds are use-it-or-lose-it funds. Don’t lose your ESSER and GEER funding. Invest in safer learning for your students today. Learn more.
