New toolkit will help NC school districts prepare for the end of COVID-19 relief funds

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction plans to help local school districts make tough spending decisions as federal COVID-19 relief funds expire. 

School districts used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, funds over the last few years to implement learning recovery programs, pay for facilities upgrades, provide bonuses to staff, and more.

But in September, that funding expires. 

At a Monday meeting of the House Select Committee on Education Reform, Michael Maher, the deputy state superintendent, presented a toolkit to help districts prepare for that. 

“What we want to do now is determine the impact of the different interventions that have been put in place using those ESSER funds to determine how best to continue student recovery, post-ESSER," Maher said. 

The kit includes a step-by-step process for calculating a return on investment for various programs, which should help districts decide where to spend and where to cut. NCDPI is also hosting sessions in each region over the next month to work with districts on this process.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.