• As guided by the district's Every Student Future Ready strategic plan, the Wichita Public Schools is committed to ensuring that recovery funding available through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program is used responsibly in order to provide the greatest impact on our people and in our buildings.

    During spring 2021, staff and students were asked to prioritize the acceptable uses of ESSER funding in order to shape district budgeting priorities. This summary highlights the consistent feedback provided by staff and students, by level.

     

    1 - Staff ESSER Priorities


    Staff     response volume provided a 95% confidence interval with a margin of error of +/- 1%. WPS received 3,173 responses from employees.

     

    PRIORITY

    Question

    1*

    Activities to address the unique needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, racial/ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth.

    2*

    Providing principals and other school leaders with the resources necessary to address needs of individual schools.

    3

    Mental health services and supports.

     *Secondary staff and central office staff were consistent in their ranking of the top three priorities. Elementary staff had priorities 1 and 2 above switched in their ranking.

     

    2 - Student ESSER Priorities


    Student participation provided an equally high confidence interval for secondary students, though elementary participation was limited enough that results aren’t generalizable across the elementary population. WPS received 11,017 responses from students.

     

    PRIORITY

    Question

    1

    Activities to address the unique needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, racial/ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth.

    2*

    Mental health services and supports.

    3*

    Providing principals and other school leaders with the resources necessary to address needs of individual schools.

    *High school and middle school/K-8 students prioritized the same three aspects, identical to staff. HS priorities are listed in order above, and middle/K-8 students had priorities 2 and 3 switched in their ranking.

     

    The next wave of stakeholder feedback to impact ESSER expenditures will be collected during fall 2021. Please check back on this web site for additional information that will impact and influence the questions we pose, and the results we collect.