Legislative Affairs

  • 1.  ESSER Resources for Your Reference

    Posted 03-30-2021 17:15

    Please find several resources below which may be helpful for school business professionals' reference when determining how best to leverage and allocate federal COVID-19 relief funds from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) programs, including ESSER I, ESSER II, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER / ESSER III funds.

    American Rescue Plan ESSER Fund State Allocations
    (This table, provided by the Department of Education [ED], shows how approximately $122 billion in ARP ESSER funding will be allocated to states based on the proportion of ESEA/ESSA Title I, Part A funding the state received in the most recent fiscal year. It also includes information on SEA set aside provisions). 

    U.S. Department of Education Fact Sheet: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, ARP ESSER Fund
    (This fact sheet, provided by ED, outlines key ARP ESSER Fund provisions. It offers information on the ARP ESSER funding formula/methodology and set-asides for states and districts; additional funding [outside of FY21 appropriations] for homeless children and youth and IDEA special education; allowable uses of ARP ESSER Funds; requirements for LEAs to provide a safe return to in-person instruction plan within 30 days of receiving funds; a comparison of key provisions between ESSER I, ESSER II, and ARP ESSER; and more.)

    District ARP ESSER III Estimates At-A-Glance
    (This table, created by Whiteboard Advisors, shows district estimates for the $122 billion ESSER III program. It estimates total district funding and how that breaks down on a per-pupil basis. Note: Other tabs on the table show similar breakdowns in funding for ESSER I and ESSER II as well.)

    Fact Sheet: ESSER II Fund Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021
    (This fact sheet, provided by ED, compares and contrasts key provisions between the ESSER I and ESSER II programs, including the availability of funds, allowable uses of funds, equitable services provisions, maintenance of effort requirements, financial reporting and tracking requirements, and more.)

    ESSER I Frequently Asked Questions
    (This FAQ, provided by ED, answers common questions about the ESSER I fund as established by the CARES Act. It answers questions on how to apply for formula funds, set-asides, funding eligibility, timelines for obligating and using funds, charter school provisions, restrictions on spending funds, equitable services requirements, and more.)

    CARES Act: Education Stabilization Fund (ESF)
    (This funding tracker, developed by ED, shows how much funding was awarded to states under the ESF's governor's, K-12 (ESSER I), and higher education fund programs.)




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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 2.  RE: ESSER Resources for Your Reference

    Posted 04-15-2021 11:05
    Another ESSER resource that may be helpful for school business professionals is this FAQs document, created by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), which answers commonly asked questions regarding ESSER I and II and the governor's GEER fund as well. 

    The document provides general spending considerations for ESSER I/II & GEER, supplement not supplant (SNS) information, allowable uses of funds, how uniform grant guidance and EDGAR rules interplay with ESSER/GEER requirements, and examples of how SEAs and LEAs could use funds to provide general ideas for everything from salaries and transportation to instruction and property acquisition and facility renovation/construction. It also confirms that ESSER funds may be used to address budgetary shortfalls resulting from the pandemic.

    If you have a helpful ESSER resource to share with your peers, please feel free to post on this thread.

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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 3.  RE: ESSER Resources for Your Reference

    Posted 05-20-2021 15:57
    For those who have questions about deadlines for the American Rescue Plan ESSER (ARP ESSER or ESSER III) requirements for state and local education agencies, we hope you will find this document useful, from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

    The document outlines key dates for when SEAs will receive ARP ESSER funds, when SEAs must allocate funds to districts or submit an explanation to the Department of Education why they cannot meet that deadline, when they must submit state plans to ED and report specific data, etc. It also notes when districts must submit their plans for safe return to in-person instruction according to ED's recent interim final rule for ARP funding and what information must be included, deadlines for revising and updating district plans, and other related information. 


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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 4.  RE: ESSER Resources for Your Reference

    Posted 05-26-2021 13:02
    This morning, the Department of Education's (ED) Office for Elementary and Secondary Education released FAQs on the ESSER and GEER programs regarding allowable uses of funds and other fiscal topics of interest to school business professionals when spending ARP ESSER / ESSER III funds.

    Find the FAQs document here.

    The document provides an overview of the ESSER and GEER programs, information on how SEAs must allocate funds, differences between ARP ESSER and other ESSER grants, allowable uses of funds for LEAs, timelines for obligating funds and maintenance of effort provisions, and more. We hope you find this resource helpful as you consider how to allocate ARP ESSER funds to support your schools and students.

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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 5.  RE: ESSER Resources for Your Reference

    Posted 11-01-2021 11:58
      |   view attached
    The Council of Chief State School Officers created a new ESSER resource to provide information for states and districts about using ESSER state and local funds for COVID-related staff leave. We hope this information is helpful. If you have any ESSER-related questions, please don't hesitate to contact ASBO International at asbousa@asbointl.org.

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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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