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On Thursday, April 22, Jackson Public Schools held the first of its online Community Forums to explore ways to use Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds. This is federal funding that has been allocated to support public schools in addressing the impact of COVID-19.

The ESSER Fund was initially authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, 2020 (CARES). It was reauthorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), and the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARP).

ESSER Funds must be expended by pre-determined deadlines. For Jackson Public Schools, those expenditure deadlines are in September of 2022, 2023, and 2024. Additionally, ESSER Funds must be used for specified expenditures, which include the following:

ESSER I: $12,456,522.00

• Any activity under ESEA, IDEA, Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, or McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
• Providing principals and school leaders with resources to address the needs of schools
• Training for staff on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases
• Planning for and coordinating long-term closures
• Purchasing of educational technology
• Providing mental health services and support
• Planning and implementing summer learning and supplemental afterschool programs
• Expend by September 30, 2022

ESSER II: $49,549,200.00

• All of the allowable expenditures from ESSER I
• Activities addressing learning loss among students
• School facility repairs and improvements
• Inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities
• Expend by September 30, 2023

ARP: $108,969,693.00 

• All of the allowable expenditures from ESSER I and ESSER II
• A minimum of 20% of the school district's formula allocation must be reserved to address learning loss through evidence-based interventions. Such interventions might include extended time activities that respond to academic, social and emotional needs and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on certain at-risk student groups.
• Expend by September 30, 2024

Potential uses for ESSER funds in Jackson Public Schools include:

• Afterschool programming
• Summer learning programs
• Tutoring/interventions during the school day
• Scholar re-engagement
• SEL programs and mental health support
• Activities to ensure a well-rounded education and/or addressing the safety and health of scholars (i.e., STEM/STEAM and accelerated learning)
• Educator professional development
• HVAC system remediation
• Construction projects that are aligned to the preparation, prevention, or response to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Technology infrastructure and support