Budgeting for Equity Beyond ESSER: A Guide to Actionable State and District Policy Responses to the Fiscal Cliff

Districts have until September 30, 2024 to spend down the last of the historic pandemic Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER) III funds. Ed Trust’s brief, “Watch Out for the Fiscal Cliff: Advocating for Education Equity as ESSER Spending Winds Down,” explains how advocates can push district leaders to spend down ESSER funds and sustain investments that are successfully addressing educational inequities.

But how do district leaders sustain these investments and strive to meet students’ growing needs? Also, what is the role that state leaders should be playing in helping districts make the transition from budgets supplemented by ESSER? This guide provides key recommendations for how state and district leaders can equitably approach budgeting beyond ESSER.