The clock is ticking for school districts across the country to utilize the remaining federal funds allocated as part of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Act (ESSER).  With the ESSER III program concluding on September 30, 2024, school districts must take the time to strategically plan how they will utilize their remaining funds before they run out. Many districts are looking to enhance their transportation operations with software upgrades or technical support, which is AlphaRoute’s specialty. By using MIT-designed algorithms to convert routing plans into math problems, AlphaRoute eliminates driver shortages and improves service, so the focus can remain on the most important piece of the puzzle: student success. 

Here’s how taking a keen look at your district’s transportation system can be the answer to where your remaining ESSER funding should be spent. 

Address the Bus Driver Shortage 

The school bus driver shortage isn’t going to get any easier. Transportation teams are well aware that the shortage is something that brewed behind the scenes for years until coming to a breaking point during the pandemic. But, the good news is that when the Department of Education released guidance on ESSER funds in 2021, they explained that school districts could use the coronavirus relief packages to address the ongoing bus driver shortage. Pulled from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the plan determined that the money was set to “help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Nation’s students.” Local educational agencies are now permitted to use ESSER funding for salary increases for current bus drivers, for other operational expenses related to recruiting and retention… and for technological solutions to the current driver shortage.

The Transportation Answer

Several school districts used their ESSER money to enhance their transportation needs. For example, Michigan’s Coldwater Community Schools upgraded their bus fleet and purchased new classroom technology including 406 desktop computers, 138 document cameras and 135 projectors. The Williamsfield, Illinois school district spent about 85% of their ESSER III funding on pupil transportation services, combining that with funds from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus rebate program to replace seven diesel buses with electric ones that allowed students to be more spaced out on buses and to spend a shorter time on bus trips, K12 Dive reported. The Noblesville Schools in Indiana used their ESSER funding to provide bonuses for all staff, including transportation staff, and to pay transportation employees who worked overtime while students stayed late after school or attended remedial remediation work to alleviate pandemic learning loss. While the potential usage for ESSER funding is diverse, it’s quite obvious that transportation can use the most financial investment. 

The Time to Act is Now

Some school systems set ESSER funding aside that they ended up not using. Unfortunately, neglecting to use ESSER funding could have severe implications for students. As stated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, these could include potential teacher layoffs, school closures, and the loss of student programming. While the impact could hit anywhere, experts say low-income districts would be hit the hardest.

If you’re considering how to use your ESSER funding before time runs out, it’s imperative to take a look at your district’s transportation system. Consider the specialized and efficient route planning AlphaRoute provides. Everything we do is driven by sophisticated mathematical and machine learning-based methodologies used to design efficient school bus routes that are safe, feasible, reliable, and cost-effective. AlphaRoute’s ability to exceed expectations and reduce bus counts by as much as 30 percent is a solid demonstration of how game-changing technology can transform bus routing. Putting your ESSER funding toward that goal is a wise investment! 

After all, an investment that helps to wipe out one of the toughest challenges facing districts today – the driver shortage – AND helps to transform the student experience is one that pays off for districts for many years to come. 

Request a free demo of AlphaRoute today to explore how your school district can use its ESSER funding to reduce driver shortages and improve student outcomes by optimizing the transportation system. 

Watch a quick video here.