Deep Dive: ESSER pandemic spending is over. What will its legacy be?

In this K‑12 Dive article, Kara Arundel examines the legacy of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds as districts finish spending the historic investments made during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The piece features findings from a recent CALDER study that analyzes how pandemic relief spending translated into student outcomes nationwide.

Drawing on data from nearly 5,000 school districts across 28 states, the CALDER study finds that a $1,000 per‑pupil increase in ESSER spending was associated with statistically significant gains in math achievement, along with smaller improvements in English language arts. While the full impact of ESSER remains difficult to quantify, the article highlights this evidence as an important contribution to understanding what districts gained from the largest one‑time federal investment in K‑12 education.

Read the article to learn more