Buffalo City School District reports nearly all ARP ESSER III funds spent; lists major expenditures

Assistant Superintendent Danielle Schwannekamp provided an annual update on ARP ESSER spending for the district. She said the district's ARP ESSER III award was $200,440,000 and that audited financials and internal reporting showed approximately $192,100,000 spent to date (about 96 percent), with the district expecting to complete final expenditure reporting to the New York State Education Department by Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle said the district used ESSER III funds for a range of purposes intended to address pandemic-related learning loss and operational needs. She reported ESSER III contributions of $25,400,000 to a BTF contract settlement and about $23,300,000 on IT (laptops, tablets, interactive whiteboards, network rebuild and security; instructional and operational software). The district spent $25,600,000 on summer school and $8,200,000 on after-school programming (the presentation said this met the 20 percent learning-loss set-aside requirement). The district also reported roughly $5,000,000 used to finish HVAC projects started with ESSER II, $5,000,000 for school nursing services, and $5,420,000 on security equipment and additional security staff (Evolv scanners, two-way radios and 51 security staff positions). A new reading series cost roughly $2,500,000, and salary and benefits for central office and school-based staff (excluding tradesmen and security) from ESSER III were reported as approximately $57,800,000.

Danielle noted the district had closed the grant internally to complete final auditing and closing entries and invited questions via the district email provided earlier. The presentation did not record a formal vote or motion; it was an informational update to the audience.