During the COVID pandemic and recovery period, Baltimore City Public Schools received and invested nearly $700 million in ESSER federal funding to expand programs and supports to accelerate student learning and offerings. As a result, we were able to offer many programs and services for the first time that our students need.
As the world returns to normalcy, ESSER funding sources will no longer be available beginning in fall 2024. This means that as City Schools begins work on its upcoming budget, we will have fewer resources to meet the exact needs, including programming that we offered for the first time. We will face hard choices to live within our means while doing what is best for students.
We need your input to ensure we allocate our funding sources where it matters most.
Every school will host at least one Priority Engagement Session, where the community can share what they think is essential with school leadership. Check with your school leader for your school's session, or visit baltimorecityschools.org/budget for a list of schools, dates, and times.
In the coming weeks, we will announce a series of meetings and opportunities for you to learn more and provide feedback about this 2024-2025 Budget Reset Work, including:
- A possible shift in the way we deliver programs that were supported by federal funding, such as tutoring and after-school programming
- A more effective way of partnering with contractors
- Some activities may need to be shifted to other fund sources
Get informed, share your feedback about the Budget Reset Work, and help ensure we make the best decisions for our students. Start by learning more about how we spend our federal recovery dollars by visiting our ESSER Spending Plan webpage - www.baltimorecityschools.org/funding.
Thank you for supporting our students and schools.
📸: Beechfield Elementary - Ms. Wells' kindergarten class making 3D art