According to the data project, as of Sept. 12, states had planned, budgeted or committed to spending 94% of the $19 billion in relief funding they received in the set-aside. Of the total $189.5 billion Congress approved for K-12 COVID-19 recovery efforts, state education agencies got a 10% set-aside in each of the three ESSER allocations.
There’s much flexibility for spending the funds, but for the largest of the three ESSER allocations — the American Rescue Plan totaling $121.9 billion — states had to use 5% of the overall allocation on unfinished learning, 1% for summer school and 1% for after-school programming. Aside from those requirements, states could determine COVID-19 recovery spending priorities as long as the activities are authorized under K-12 education laws.
