Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grants provide funding to the District of Columbia state education agency (SEA) and local education agencies (LEAs) as they prepare for, respond to and address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, families and educators. ESSER grants are administered by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to support LEAs addressing learning loss through evidence-based interventions and creating and maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for students.
ESSER grants made to the District of Columbia from the United States Department of Education (USED) total more than $600 million and include three separate grants that fund recovery efforts from 2020-2024:
- ESSER I-CARES: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
- ESSER II-CRRSA: Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
- ESSER III-ARP: American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
ESSER grants are authorized by the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES), Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations, and 2021 (CRRSA) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Acts of 2021. OSSE currently administers $540 million in funding to 48 LEA grantees.
To view information about how ESSER funding has been spent by OSSE and LEAs across the District, view the data in OSSE’s Restoration and Recovery Investments website.
ESSER grants may only be used to support Title I-A eligible LEAs. OSSE created ESSER Equivalent grants for LEAs which are not eligible for ESSER grants.
Contact Us
For questions or additional information, please email [email protected].
The ESSER grants are administered by OSSE’s Office of Federal Programs and Strategic Funding within the Division of Systems and Supports, K-12.
[Nov. 16, 2022]