Publications & Resources
- Newsletters
- Apr 10, 2024
Is it too late to protect what’s working as the cliff hits districts?
Next year's school district budgets will be locked in this spring. After that, influencing spending for 24-25 gets a lot harder.
- Webinars & Presentations
- Mar 19, 2024
30-Min Webinar: Six months remain on ESSER. What’s left to do? What worked? What didn’t? What happens when it’s gone?
We take stock of what districts did and didn’t accomplish with the money, what's left to do, and what happens when the money is gone during this 30-minute webinar.
- Newsletters
- Mar 14, 2024
Winding down ESSER. Is it working? What’s left to do?
Just 6 months remain on this massive federal program. While there's still work to be done, we can already see it's legacy taking shape. Here are a few highlights...
- Articles & Publications
- Feb 28, 2024
School Boards Face Their Most Difficult Budget Season Ever
How can school board members bring their communities along in challenging financial times? Marguerite Roza and Laura Anderson weigh in at The 74.
- Newsletters
- Jan 18, 2024
Did the feds just extend the ESSER deadline?
In early January 2024, the U.S. Dept. of Education sent a letter to states with the latest on the ARP ESSER extension. Here's our take on what it all means.
- Newsletters
- Jan 09, 2024
How legislatures can ensure school funds do more for students
K-12 funding is the biggest line item in most state budgets. Here are five policy levers that states can pull to help districts maximize the value of every dollar for students.
- Newsletters
- Nov 30, 2023
Who decides what to cut? Technically school boards do
School boards face tough tradeoffs as they decide what to keep and what goes away when federal relief funds dry up. Here's what we've been learning about how boards engage in making financial decisions.
- Webinars & Presentations
- Nov 15, 2023
30-Min Webinar: What happens to K-12 nonprofits and vendors when ESSER ends?
In this webinar we look at what nonprofits and vendors should know about the end of ESSER and market changes in the coming years.
- Webinars & Presentations
- Nov 02, 2023
30-Min Webinar: Mayday… Mayday… Who Will Answer the Distress Signals Appearing in Some Districts’ Data?
This webinar looks at ways to read the distress signals in district data, raise the alarm, and take steps to help “Mayday” districts.
- Newsletters
- Oct 26, 2023
Mayday…Mayday…Distress signals are appearing in some districts’ data
A quick look at a district's data can show whether it's chipping away at learning losses, how quickly ESSER is being spent down, what’s happening to enrollment and more. In a few districts, some of the numbers amount to a distress signal.
- Webinars & Presentations
- Oct 24, 2023
The Fiscal Cliff: Exploring the Impacts on Equity
In this webinar hosted by the National Comprehensive Center, the Edunomics Lab team explores how the end of ESSER funds may affect equity
- Newsletters
- Sep 21, 2023
The ESSER cliff will be worse in high-needs districts
High-poverty districts got more ESSER (which means the cliff will be steeper) and have spent their funds more slowly (leaving more to spend in the last year) than more affluent counterparts.
- Articles & Publications
- Sep 14, 2023
The ESSER fiscal cliff will have serious implications for student equity
In this analysis published by Brookings, Marguerite Roza and Katherine Silberstein show that high-poverty communities will see sharper impacts to their school budgets when ESSER ends.
- Newsletters
- Aug 09, 2023
The answer to: How to sustain efforts when ESSER ends?
Some ESSER-funded efforts are clearly worth saving. Doing so will require being aware of tradeoffs and making intentional choices.
- Newsletters
- Jun 15, 2023
Districts just approved their last ESSER-fueled budgets
With the deadline for spending ESSER approaching, now is the last chance to ensure these funds get students back on track. It also means the days of financial surplus are ending.
- Articles & Publications
- Apr 04, 2023
The Massive ESSER Experiment: Here’s what we’re learning.
With 18 months to go before ESSER ends, Katherine Silberstein and Marguerite Roza take stock of how school districts have spent their funds so far, at Education Next.
- Newsletters
- Feb 02, 2023
Tough finances ahead for districts. Will states come to the rescue?
Come September 2024, when ESSER runs out, districts will need to adjust annual spending down by $60B. What might that mean for employee layoffs?
- Newsletters
- Jan 10, 2023
District are sending large sums out the door to vendors
We estimate 20-30% of ESSER is going toward contracts for purchased services, curriculum, supplies, one-time-projects, and more. Smart contracts and smart approval processes can help ensure they deliver real value for students.
- Newsletters
- Dec 01, 2022
Districts play a starring role in school finance
For decades, the field of education finance has focused heavily on states (revenues, funding formulas). Now that attention is shifting to school districts' spending choices, especially regarding federal ESSER funds.
- Newsletters
- Sep 27, 2022
ESSER money is now pouring into schools
School districts have two years left to spend about $5 billion a month, raising spending about 9% above normal expenditure levels. Then, the spigot shuts off.
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