ESSER Sustainability Toolbox

Purpose of the Guidance

Beginning in 2020, there was access to significant COVID relief funds through the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund program. This program provided one of the largest, most flexible investments of federal funding supporting education in Colorado. ESSER, however, is a time-limited program, so many districts will need to find ways to sustain ESSER-funded activities that have had the most impact with other funds to maintain program impacts and student outcomes.

This guidance is intended to support various decision-makers involved with federal education programming, including school and district leaders (administrators, federal program coordinators, school leaders, teaching and learning staff, human resources, etc.) who are responsible for determining how to leverage federal funds in support of all students, particularly students from historically underserved populations.

Understanding which types of activities federal grant-funded programs can support may prompt important conversations and reveal support and sustainability options not previously considered.

Budget and finance staff may benefit from the “supplement not supplant” overviews and examples of allowable activities to support budget and programming decisions.

Federal program staff may benefit from references to federal law and guidance, as well as discussions of technical issues within each program area. Ultimately, using multiple funding streams to sustain ESSER investments will require close coordination by all federal program personnel, who will need to identify effective strategies, design implementation plans, and identify appropriate funding sources. These discussions may prompt in-depth analyses of current uses of funds, to determine whether or not they can be repurposed to support or sustain ESSER-initiated investments.

CDE representatives from the Federal Programs & Supports Unit are prepared to support LEAs with leveraging ESEA funds to continue the investments made with ESSER.

Contact Information

Nazanin Mohajeri-Nelson, Ph. D.
Executive Director
Federal Programs & Supports Unit
P: 720.626.3895
Mohajeri-Nelson_n@cde.state.co.us