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USED Releases Guidance on Repurposing Federal Equipment and Supplies to Combat COVID-19-

USED Releases Guidance on Repurposing Federal Equipment and Supplies to Combat COVID-19-

Thu, May 14, 2020
ESSER

Fact Sheet for Repurposing Federal Equipment and Supplies to Combat COVID-19

Generally, equipment and supplies purchased with Federal funds may only be used to carry out the purposes of the Federal program for which they were purchased and for intended Beneficiaries (2 C.F.R. § 200.403(a))

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has released new guidance (Fact Sheet for Repurposing Federal Equipment and Supplies to Combat COVID-19) that allows grantees and subgrantees to repurpose federally purchased equipment and supplies that are not currently in use to carry out a Department grant program to meet the general education needs of students, including students with disabilities and English learners, and the instructional needs of teachers, related services providers, and other educational personnel during the national emergency caused by COVID-19

When the national emergency ends, schools reopen, and students once again begin attending schools in person, the equipment and supplies that are not consumed must be returned for use in the Department grant programs for which they were purchased

To take advantage of this flexibility, grantees and subgrantees must clearly mark the equipment and supplies being repurposed with pertinent identifying information. In addition, grantees and subgrantees must maintain an inventory of the equipment and supplies being repurposed to facilitate proper return, including the following:

  • a description and itemization of the type of equipment or supplies being temporarily repurposed
  • the source (Federal program(s) funds involved) from which the temporarily repurposed equipment or supplies were purchased and the amount of Federal funds used for the purchase
  • where the equipment or supplies are assigned for use during the duration of the COVID-19 national emergency
  • the date on which the equipment or non-consumed supplies are returned for Federal program purposes

Grantees must maintain these records for a minimum of 3 years and until the resolution of any audit, monitoring, or oversight that is being conducted relative to the repurposed equipment or supplies, as required by 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.302 (financial management) and 200.333 (retention requirements for records)

Equipment and non-consumable supplies that are lost or damaged must be replaced with non-Federal funds to ensure continued benefit to the Department grant program

Please Note: This authority does not permit grantees and subgrantees to use unobligated grant funds to purchase new equipment and supplies for purposes not aligned with the allowable activities of the program under which funds are available.

Grantees should not assume additional funds will be available should the repurposing of equipment and supplies result in any type of shortage to a program

Recent Articles

USED Releases Guidance for Equitable Services and Determining LEA Allocations

USED Releases Guidance for Equitable Services and Determining LEA Allocations

Thu, May 14, 2020
ESSER

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released the following guidance regarding how to calculate proportionate share for equitable services (and the provision of those services by school districts) for ESSER Fund-participating non-profit private schools:

ED also released the following FAQ with guidance on how states must calculate ESSER Fung LEA allocations for LEAs that received FY20 Title I funds:

Recent Articles

Arizona's ESSER Fund Application

Arizona's ESSER Fund Application

Arizona's Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund Application

Arizona's ESSER Fund application was submitted on May 8, 2020, and approved by the U.S. Department of Education on May 11, 2020.

Guidance Documents

Guidance Documents

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund - LEA Guidance Documents

FY20 Title I-A LEAs and FY21 Title I-A New and Expanding Charter LEAs

These guidance documents apply to LEAs that received Title I-A funds in FY20 (SY19-20), to include FY21 Title I-A New and Expanding Charter LEAs:

Guidance for FY20 Title I-A LEAs
GME Grant Guidance for FY20 Title I-A LEAs

Non-Title I-A LEAs

These guidance documents apply to LEAs that did not receive Title I-A funds in FY20 (SY19-20):

Guidance for Non-Title I-A LEAs
GME Grant Guidance for Non-Title I-A LEAs

The CARES Act

U.S. Department of Education (ED) CARES Act and ESSER Fund Guidance:

ED COVID-19 Flexibility Guidance:

ESSER Grant Resources

ESSER Grant Resources

Questions? Please contact us at [email protected] 

FY20 Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund Allocations UPDATED 7/10/2020 

NEW: Budget Narrative Guidance --> Please use this guidance document to help complete the budget section of the application

FY20 Title I-A LEAs and FY21 Title I-A New and Expanding Charter LEAs

 .

Non-Title I-A LEAs

Contact Us

Contact Us

 

For questions on the FY20 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund Grant, please reach out to ADE by emailing:

 [email protected]

 

For general questions on the CARES Act, please reach out to ADE by emailing:

 [email protected]

ESSER I & II

ESSER I & II

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING LATE LIQUIDATI0N:

“At this time, we do not believe there is a viable pathway for LEAs with respect to late liquidation for ESSER funds, given the uncertain state of current information and guidance from ED and it’s apparent inconsistency with other federal regulations and opinions of others, including ED’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). Also, while a formal process was announced by ED for ESSER I, nothing formal has been released to date for ESSER II and III.

At this time, we highly encourage LEAs to plan accordingly for the current ESSER II (September 30, 2023) and ESSER III (September 30, 2024) project end dates, based on these dates being the end of the periods of availability for each program.”

Arizona LEAs have twice been allocated funding through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. These highly flexible funds are designed to help address local relief, prevention and preparation, and recovery efforts relative to responding to COVID-19. See the distinctions between ESSER I and ESSER II.
ESSER I dollars are available for obligation through September 30, 2022. ESSER II dollars are available for obligation through September 30, 2023.

Learn about the allocations & application for ESSER III.

ESSER II

Arizona eligible LEAs were allocated $1.084 billion in ESSER II Funds through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act that was enacted on December 27, 2020. Download the LEA allocations here.

In order to guarantee a baseline funding amount for every public school district and non-profit charter organization in the state, the Arizona Department of Education is contributing discretionary dollars we received from the CRSSA Act to ensure every non-profit LEA – regardless of size or location – receives at least $150,000 in base funding, with $175,000 guaranteed for rural school districts and charters, and $200,000 guaranteed for the most remote school districts and charters.

GREAT NEWS! Unlike ESSER I, there will be a single completion report for ESSER II and  a single completion report for ESSER III.  This will remove the burden of completing a second application and budget with unspent carry over funds. See information below:

ESSER Completion Reports

Prior Approval -- Construction/HVAC Assurances

NEW: Overview of ESSER II

Read the overview guidance for ESSER II.

ESSER II Overview

NEW: ESSER II Allocations

Download the list of available ESSER II allocations to LEAs.

ESSER II Allocations

ESSER II Allocations Details

NEW: How to Apply

The ESSER II application is now live in GME.

Read the comprehensive guidance (Application information begins on page 6).

Watch our video overview of the application process & view the accompanying slides.

Watch the February 2021 ESSER II Grant Application Webinar (hosted by ASBA/ASA/AASBO/ACSA) and view the PowerPoint

Watch the March 2021 ESSER II 'Utilizing ESSER I and II' AASBO Webinar (1:06:38 – 1:58:10) and view the PowerPoint (joint presentation with HeinfeldMeech)

Read the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) FAQ 'Common Use of Funds Questions for ESSER & GEER'

Read the new U.S. Department of Education Frequently Asked Questions guidance regarding allowable uses of ESSER funds and ESSER funds requirements across ESSER I, II and III

Webinars

Recorded webinars are available that provide and overview of the ESSER II program, the application process and allowable uses for these federal relief funds.

Watch the January 2021 ESSER II overview Webinar and view the PowerPoint.

Watch the February 2021 ESSER II Grant Application Webinar and view the PowerPoint

Watch the March 2021 ESSER II 'Utilizing ESSER I and II' AASBO Webinar (1:06:38 – 1:58:10) and view the PowerPoint (joint presentation with HeinfeldMeech)

ESSER I

All non-profit district and charter LEAs may apply for federal ESSER Funds. LEAs that have not yet applied may still do so and are encouraged to apply. LEAs that have already submitted their applications can revise their applications if needs have changed.

Please review the menu items below for more information on both processes. Click here to download a list of all ESSER Allocations.

Overview of ESSER I Funds

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund is designated to support K-12 schools to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the declaration of statewide school closures. These are federal funds that are administered by the Arizona Department of Education. Arizona’s award is based on the proportionate share of Title I-A funds received in FY20 (SY19-20). The initial project term is March 13, 2020 - September 30, 2022.

  • 90% of Arizona’s award ($249 million) must be sub-granted to LEAs. Funds are allocated based on each LEA’s proportionate share of Title I-A funds received in FY20 (SY19-20).
  • 5%of the total award may be reserved for ADE state-level activities to support K-12 relief, prevention and preparation, and recovery efforts
  • No more than 5%of the total award may be reserved by ADE for administrative costs

Arizona LEAs were allocated $264 million in ESSER I funds to support local  K-12 relief, prevention and preparation, and recovery efforts. In order to guarantee a baseline funding amount for every public school district and non-profit charter organization in the state, the Arizona Department of Education is contributing discretionary dollars we received from the CARES Act to ensure every non-profit LEA – regardless of size or location – received at least $50,000 in base funding.

Funds will remain available for obligation through September 30, 2022. All non-profit district and charter LEAs may apply for these funds. Grant applications are now available for LEAs on the ADE Grants Management (GME) system for the FY20 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund Grant.

What do ESSER I Funds Cover?

ESSER Funds are highly flexible, and are designed to help address local relief, prevention and preparation, and recovery efforts relative to responding to COVID-19. Supplement and not supplant requirements do not apply to LEA use of ESSER Fund monies.


LEAs may use their funds for any of the following categories depending on local needs:

Any activity allowed under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

e.g.: Title I-A, Title I-C (Migrant Education),Title I-D (Neglected and Delinquent Students), Title II-A, Title III-A (English Language Learners), Title IV-A, Title IV-B 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Title V-B REAP (SRSA and RLIS),Title VI-A (Indian Education), Title VII (Impact Aid)

Any activity allowed under the following Federal education acts:

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  • Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act)
  • McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act
  • Adult Education and Family Literacy Act
  • Native Hawaiian Education Act and the Alaska Native Educational Equity, Support, and Assistance Act

For the following COVID-19 related relief, prevention, and recovery efforts:

  • Coordination of preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies with State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments, and other relevant agencies, to improve coordinated responses among such entities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus
  • Providing principals and others school leaders with the resources necessary to address the needs of individual schools
  • Activities to address the unique needs of low-income children or students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth, including how outreach and service delivery will meet the needs of each population
  • Developing and implementing procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of LEAs
  • Training and professional development for staff of the LEA on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases
  • Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the facilities of an LEA, including buildings operated by such an agency
  • Planning for and coordinating during long term closures, including meals to eligible students, technology for online learning, guidance for carrying out requirements under the IDEA, and how to ensure other educational services can continue to be provided consistent with all federal, state, and local requirements
  • Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, and connectivity) for students that aids in regular and substantive educational interaction between students and their classroom instructors, including low-income students and students with disabilities, which may include assistive technology or adaptive equipment
  • Providing mental health services and supports
  • Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and supplemental after school programs, including providing classroom instruction or online learning during the summer months and addressing the needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care
  • Other activities that are necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services in LEAs and continuing to employ existing staff of the LEA
     

Unallowable uses of ESSER Funds:

  • CARES Act funds generally cannot be used for bonuses, merit pay, or similar expenditures, unless related to disruptions or closures resulting from COVID-19
  • Subsidizing or offsetting executive salaries and benefits of individuals who are not employees of the SEA or LEAs 
  • Expenditures related to state or local teacher or faculty unions or associations

Read the new U.S. Department of Education Frequently Asked Questions guidance regarding allowable uses of ESSER funds and ESSER funds requirements across ESSER I, II and III.

How to Apply

There are a number of webinars & guidance documents available to help you in your application process. The application process is broken apart by Title I LEAs* and Non-Title I LEAs. Please review the appropriate guidance accordingly before starting your application.

*Title I-A LEAs

Non-Title I-A LEAs


*Title I LEAs include schools that received Title I-A Funds in Fiscal Year 2020 (School Year 19-20), including FY21 Title I-A New and Expanding Charter LEAs.

We are here to help you complete your application! Questions about the application process can be sent to [email protected].

How to Revise Your Application

Approved applications may be revised, as needed, to ensure ESSER funds are leveraged to meet changing local needs.

Please view ‘GME User Resources/Training’ resources on the Grants Management Resource Library on gme.azed.gov for additional guidance and instructions on how to complete an application revision.

*Title I-A LEAs


*Title I LEAs include schools that received Title I-A Funds in Fiscal Year 2020 (School Year 19-20), including FY21 Title I-A New and Expanding Charter LEAs.

Non-Title I-A LEAs

ESSER I LEA Allocations

Click below to download the list of available ESSER I allocations to LEAs. This list was last updated in July 2020.

ESSER I Allocations

ESSER I Webinars

Please reach out to [email protected] for questions on the application process, revision process, allocations, or for more information.  

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