A Comprehensive Guide on Post-CARES Federal Funding for Schools
The landscape of federal funding for schools underwent rapid transformation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, marked notably by the implementation of the CARES Act. However, as sectors continue to normalize, this supplementary funding is ending. Consequently, businesses within the education sector are grappling with these shifts, adjusting outreach strategies to effectively engage their intended audience amidst diminishing funds.
Read on to learn more about the intricacies of post-CARES federal funding for schools, its far-reaching impact, and how educational service providers can strategically adapt to chart a course toward sustained success.
Unraveling the Story of CARES Funding for Schools
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES $279 billion in relief aid Education Stabilization Fund ESSER HEERF
Address the impact of the global pandemic.
Support the continuity of learning for students.
Overcome resulting learning loss.
Assist schools in reopening safely.
This funding ultimately served as a lifeline for several segments in the sector, from public and private K-12 schools to colleges and universities. As districts grappled with the sudden shift to remote learning, increased technology needs, and other pandemic-related expenses, these emergency grants enabled schools to:
Adapt swiftly to new instructional models.
Procure essential instructional supplies.
Address student and staff well-being.
Unfortunately, school districts are coming up on a critical decision juncture: They need to allocate or commit their remaining financial aid by September 2024, and by January 2025, they’re expected to have expended all those CARES funds. Schools now face the daunting task of navigating budget shortfalls, reassessing resource allocations, and reevaluating long-term strategies for sustainability as the safety net of emergency funding dissipates.
From Relief to Reality: The Impact of CARES Funding Exhaustion
Because institutions already struggle with tight budget constraints, it’s no surprise that schools throughout the United States leaned heavily on CARES Act emergency grants during the tumultuous times of the pandemic. This was the cornerstone of educational stakeholders addressing urgent needs, like technology upgrades, safety protocols, and learning loss mitigation efforts. However, as this federal financial aid comes to an end, there’s a shadow of uncertainty over school districts—and, consequently, over the businesses trying to serve them.
Schools are feeling the strain of diminishing resources, limited capacity to address ongoing needs, and the daunting task of maintaining critical programs and services. As institutions navigate this new reality, businesses operating in the sector
Refining Your Educational Outreach Strategies in a Post-Funding Era
With dwindling CARES funds and already constrained school budgets in mind, educational service providers must rethink their outreach efforts in the post-emergency aid era
1. Adapting Marketing and Sales Strategies and Implementing Targeted Messaging
To successfully reach educational stakeholders at the right time in a district’s purchasing cycle, teams are incorporating tailored marketing and sales efforts. This ensures educational services align with schools’ priorities, including tackling learning loss or enhancing remote learning capabilities. Such a proactive approach requires extensive research to understand stakeholders’ specific post-CARES needs and craft messaging that highlights relevant solutions. By adapting outreach initiatives, educational service providers demonstrate responsiveness to schools’ unique challenges and position their companies as valuable partners in educational recovery.
2. Understanding Relevant Decision-Making Hierarchies and Purchasing Cycles
School districts are fraught with complex decision-making hierarchies and purchasing cycles federal financial aid grants
Utilize robust education data.
Conduct stakeholder mapping.
Foster relationships with educational influencers.
Customize messaging efforts.
3. Developing Collaborative and Tailored Solutions
This strategy entails co-creating initiatives that directly address schools’ unique needs, such as learning recovery programs or tech integration plans. Organizations are taking advantage of this approach by initiating open communication channels, conducting needs assessments, and prioritizing flexibility to adapt solutions. Engaging in collaborative dialogue allows providers to tailor solutions, enhancing their relevance and efficacy. This cultivates trust and demonstrates a commitment to supporting schools as they’re forced to work with shrinking budgets.
4. Taking Advantage of Data-Driven Decision-Making
Investing in data analytics tools, collaborating with educators to identify key metrics, and communicating the value of data-driven insights in addressing post-CARES educational priorities is critical today. This equips educational service providers to customize offerings by analyzing student performance data, school demographics, and educational trends. Data-driven decision-making is ultimately the cornerstone of understanding school districts’ specific needs and challenges
5. Adopting a Customer-Centric Approach
Education service providers always aim to adequately address the pain points of relevant stakeholders and enhance learning outcomes. That’s why teams are emphasizing customer-centricity by engaging in active listening and feedback mechanisms. This often involves conducting thorough market research, establishing clear channels for communication, and prioritizing responsiveness to schools’ evolving needs and feedback in their marketing campaigns. Directly addressing a school’s unique difficulties is crucial for fostering loyalty and long-term partnerships.
6. Embracing Digital Platforms and Technology-Enabled Outreach Efforts
The post-CARES landscape will be characterized by increasingly remote learning environments, making it essential for organizations to embrace digital platforms and technology-enabled outreach. This can include leveraging social media, email campaigns, and virtual events to engage school districts and key influencers. Embracing online platforms reflects adaptability to digital learning trends, fostering credibility and relevance in the sector.
Staying Ahead in the Sector: The Value of Comprehensive Education Data
Let’s explore the impact education service providers can anticipate from the reduction in funding for schools:
Stimulus-funded programs are vulnerable to rollbacks: Many stimulus-funded programs now at risk of cutbacks align closely with school districts’ top priorities during the initial allocation—for example, summer learning and tutoring.Cutbacks will differ between smaller and larger districts: Large urban districts are more likely to reduce tutoring and staff mental health support compared to small rural systems. This difference is a result of the substantial initial allocation of federal aid to these areas, which are now transitioning back to normalcy.High school leaders may feel the brunt of reductions: Leaders in grades 9-12 anticipate more significant reductions in supplementary resources post-stimulus compared to elementary school leaders. The latter perceive a long-term need for academic interventions even after federal aid ends.Some academic areas are more at risk than others: While districts prioritized social-emotional learning for students’ mental health amid pandemic challenges, many are projected to scale back such investments despite ongoing academic recovery needs.
What does this mean for education service providers moving forward? As district and school leaders encounter major academic setbacks and dig into their general fund budgets to sustain CARES Act programs, companies are actively taking steps to avoid exclusion from procurement cycles. This includes:
Developing and executing marketing campaigns to emphasize the value of educational products and services.
Assisting clients in identifying alternative funding sources (e.g., state, local, and other federal sources) for purchasing a solution.
Reaching out to teachers and end users to demonstrate an offering’s ROI.
Highlighting the team’s extensive field experience and providing satisfied client testimonials.
Successfully Navigating the Post-CARES Education Landscape
In a post-CARES education landscape, Agile Education Marketing K-12 Data License s . This enables access to updated education data
Ready to empower your education initiatives with data-driven insights? Learn more about Agile’s K-12 Data for a better understanding of school funding and other market factors, or reach out to connect .
