The Elgin ISD school board recently discussed the ways in which the third round of federal assistance funds can be used to help recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) is part of the federal stimulus programs responding to COVID-19 to address the effects of the pandemic on schools. ESSER I was part of the CARES Act of 2020, while the second and third iterations are from the American Rescue Plan of 2021. School districts have until September 2024 to spend their allocation of ESSER funds.  During the most recent ...