IMPORTANT REMINDER: School districts must file their preliminary (initial) ESSER III plans with the DPI by Friday March 11.
According to the DPI, the initial plan is intended as a starting point, with high-level decisions and direction for the district’s ESSER III spending.
The DPI has resources to support school districts in this application process, including:
- a video walk-through of the application process,
- a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document on allowable costs and activities, and
- information specific to the evidence-based improvement strategy (EBIS) requirement.
All those items can be found at https://dpi.wi.gov/arp/esser-iii.
According to the DPI, a school district may submit a partial ESSER III application.
There is no required minimum amount to budget. However, school districts are reminded that 20% of the costs a school district budgets for ESSER III activities must employ an evidence-based improvement strategy (EBIS). For example, if a district’s ESSER III allocation is $500,000 and it chooses to budget $250,000, then at least $50,000 must be budgeted for EBIS activities in the district’s ESSER III application plan budget.
If school districts have questions about the process or the WISEgrants system, they are asked to please reach out to the DPI via essergrants@dpi.wi.gov.
