ESSER Funding in Mesa Public Schools

Learn more about how Mesa Public Schools spends federal relief dollars.

School districts throughout Arizona received federal funding to help us respond to the COVID pandemic. Funding sources included the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Act (ESSER) and the American Recovery Plan (ARP). The federal government set specific guidelines around these dollars that states and school districts must follow.

The total forecasted allocation for Mesa Public Schools is approximately $246 million and spans the 2021-2024 school years (ESSER I, ESSER II and ESSER III).

As of April 3, 2022, $60.5 million has been spent. Of the remaining projected $185.5 million, $32.9 million must be spent by Sept. 30, 2023. The deadine for all funds is Sept. 30, 2024.

Below is an overview of district COVID relief spending priorities. Additional information can be found on the Arizona Department of Education website.

ESSER I - $17M allocation

Priorities included personal protection equipment and COVID migitation supplies, retaining employees through the pandemic, internet hot spots for student access to remote learning, software and hardware needs to transition to remote work, programming to provide a safe place to learn per Gov. Ducey's mandate, food and transportation costs to feed students and more. $17M has been spent as of April 3, 2022. 

ESSER II - $70M allocation

Priorities included employee retention stipends, Xplore expansion, Summer Academy, Mesa Virtual Campus, class size reduction, COVID mitigation staff and PPE, employee and student recruitment, professional development and more. $37M has been spent as of April 3, 2022. The remaining funds must be spent by Sept. 30, 2023.

View the ESSER Governing Board presentations

Videos are timed to begin at the start of each presentation.

ESSER presentation, March 30, 2021
View the ESSER board presentation document.

April 12, 2022

Dec. 14, 2021

April 10, 2021

March 30, 2021