Six states still have more than $1 billion to spend prior to the deadline. Another 15 states have more than $500 million that must be spent. (Note: due to a lag in reporting, actual figures may be lower than what the data shows.)
Why the urgency?
Local school districts must allocate their remaining ESSER III funds – also known as ARP (American Rescue Plan) funds – by Sept. 30, 2024, and spend the funds by the end of January 2025 or risk having to return those funds to the federal government.
Launched in 2021, ESSER III delivered nearly $120 billion to local school districts to spend on programs to help speed the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding can be used, among other things, for programs that:
- Promote the effective use of technology, including investing in technology improvements
- Promote safe and healthy schools
- Addressing challenges in physical health and well-being and providing social-emotional learning
How to Request ESSER III Funding
Teachers, working with administrators, have successfully requested ESSER funding to purchase IHT ZONE heart rate monitors, IHT Assessment software and training for staff to use the technology. While each district may have a different application process to access the funding, these best practices should help increase teachers’ chances for success.
Lean on administrators for help
“I’m very fortunate,” Bremen High School District 228 (Ill.) Curriculum Supervisor for Health, Driver’s Ed and PE Terri Schrishuhn said. “(My administrator) knew the ins and outs of the grant so we could maximize the funding efforts. One of the areas of focus under ESSER was to improve the quality of learning through digital tools.”
Think about a district-wide solution
ESSER overall, and ESSER III specifically, gave local school district millions of dollars to spend on overcoming learning loss. The amounts far surpassed anything that those associated with PE had ever seen. For Pomona USD (Cal.) coordinator Michelle Baumgartner, that meant changing the way she approached an ESSER request that was approved as the 2024 school year wrapped up.
“When I first presented to the district, I thought let’s pilot in 8 schools because that would be less expensive,” Baumgartner said. “But then my director really liked the idea and she said let’s double it. We got a quote for that and my director was okay with that too. Then she said, ‘I’m thinking big now. Why can’t we just have it for all 24 sites?’”
Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, PUSD will have sets of IHT ZONE heart rate monitors in use at 24 elementary schools.
Align your proposal with the district’s campus improvement plan
Past SHAPE America President Dr. Kymm Ballard recommends linking any PE request to the district’s plan to improve student wellness.
“That’s where a lot of money goes,” Ballard said. “If you’re working with your school improvement team, you’re working on the bigger picture. You’re part of the blueprint that is inevitably going to be funded.”
And summer may be the ideal time – especially given the pending deadline -- to build a request you’re ready to submit when the new school year begins.
“Those monies have to be spent by the end of September, and districts must spend it or turn it back in,” Ballard said. “SO they are going to want to spend it out.
“That’s your opportunity.”
Don’t hesitate to contact IHT directly for assistance in creating a request for ESSER funding. Simply complete this form or email spirit@ihtusa.com and a team member will connect with you as soon as possible.
Boost Student Wellness with IHT ZONE heart rate monitors:
