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Congress Need Not Panic: Debunking Fears of a 'Fiscal Cliff' as School Districts Face ESSER Spending Deadline. Issue Brief No. 5364

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Congress Need Not Panic: Debunking Fears of a 'Fiscal Cliff' as School Districts Face ESSER Spending Deadline. Issue Brief No. 5364
Language: English
Authors: Madison Marino Doan, Benjamin Scafidi, Heritage Foundation, Center for Education Policy
Source: Heritage Foundation. 2024.
Availability: Heritage Foundation. 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002-4999. Tel: 202-546-4400; Fax: 202-546-8328; e-mail: info@heritage.org; Web site: http://www.heritage.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 7
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Educational Finance, Federal Aid, School Districts, Public Schools, Elementary Secondary Education, Emergency Programs, Grants, COVID-19, Pandemics, Financial Exigency, Resource Allocation, School District Wealth, School District Spending, Taxes, Budgets
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
Abstract: Federal appropriations such as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds allocated to public schools during the pandemic were intended as one-time spending to address added costs such as remote learning and tutoring. This brief offers reasons why concerns over an impending "fiscal cliff" for public school districts as ESSER funds near their expiration are misplaced, describing how many states have bolstered their reserves, completed long-term projects, benefited from rising home values, and still have not fully used the substantial federal aid provided. Most state budgets are flush with cash, positioning them to absorb any future financial challenges and allowing school districts to be well equipped to maintain financial stability without additional federal taxpayer spending.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED677256
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Federal appropriations such as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds allocated to public schools during the pandemic were intended as one-time spending to address added costs such as remote learning and tutoring. This brief offers reasons why concerns over an impending "fiscal cliff" for public school districts as ESSER funds near their expiration are misplaced, describing how many states have bolstered their reserves, completed long-term projects, benefited from rising home values, and still have not fully used the substantial federal aid provided. Most state budgets are flush with cash, positioning them to absorb any future financial challenges and allowing school districts to be well equipped to maintain financial stability without additional federal taxpayer spending.