How Federal COVID Relief Dollars Are Helping States and Districts Invest in Early Education
The following article by Vasilisa Smith and Aaron Loewenberg originally appeared on the New America website on Oct. 13, 2022.
In March of 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which included an unprecedented $122 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund (known as ESSER III). Like previous ESSER investments, these funds were provided to state educational agencies and school districts to address safe school reopening and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students, requiring an emphasis on addressing the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on students of color.