Monday, June 30, Portsmouth Public Schools (PPS) administration was notified that the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) was reinstating the original liquidation date for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) funds.
Earlier this year, the USDOE had cancelled a previous extension. This left school divisions solely responsible for purchases and spending plans that had been approved and would have otherwise been covered by ESSER funds.
Monday’s decision comes after an ongoing appeal process throughout the spring, and it means the division will receive approximately $7 million of federal reimbursements that were previously cancelled. Before this notification, the division had earmarked general fund monies to cover the costs that the USDOE had suspended.
With this funding, the division has much-needed financial flexibility to continue three critical programs that were previously slated for elimination due to budget constraints:
“These programs play a vital role in enriching the educational experience and supporting student success across our division,” said PPS Superintendent Dr. Elie Bracy, III. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring them back for the 2025-2026 school year and have our students engage further in their learning with these offerings.”
The continuation of these programs beyond the 2026 school year will be contingent upon future funding allocations from local and state sources. That said, staff has already begun the process of planning the logistics required for bringing the programs back this upcoming school year, including staffing allocations, transportation routing and family notifications.
“We remain committed to pursuing every opportunity to sustain impactful programs that benefit our students, families and community,” said Dr. Cardell Patillo, Jr., chairman of the Portsmouth City School Board. “We hope our city leadership will support the division in making these plans a reality for our schools.”