As school districts across the country implement a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to address student needs, many administrators are trying to figure out where the money will come from.

While some funds may be available to improve MTSS overall, many funding sources are available for school districts to implement specific components of MTSS—either across a district or for specific populations of students: 

• MTSS is a long-term practice, so federal funding remains the most sustained source of funding for MTSS programs.
• State formula funding varies and is subject to state education budgets.
• State competitive grants are often funded annually but will require districts to file grant applications for each cycle.

The takeaway? Districts may have to look to several funding sources and combine them to fund their MTSS. 

Since the start of the pandemic, the federal government has passed three separate stimulus bills. Combined, the three pieces of legislation have provided over $195 billion in funding for K12 schools - that’s almost double the $100 billion that schools received from the 2009 stimulus bill following the economic recession.

Keeping track of all that money and how school districts can use the funds for students can be confusing, but here’s a bit of help.