The monies allocated via the CARES Act, CRSSA, and ARP come with plenty of strings attached, including when it must be spent and for what capacity.
ESSER, ESSER II, and ESSER III monies, “May be used for pre-award costs dating back to March 13, 2020, when the national emergency was declared,” according to the New Jersey Department of Education. Funding from ESSER is available to be distributed from May 11, 2020, to September 30, 2021. The timeframe for ESSER II is March 15, 2021, through September 30, 2022. For ESSER III, the period is May 24, 2021, through September 30, 2023.
The bills clearly stipulate how school emergency relief funds are to be spent. The CARES Act notes that allowable uses are “preventing, preparing for and responding to COVID-19.” The government goes into greater details, ESSER funds, along with ESSER II and ESSER III “uses include: hiring new staff and avoiding layoffs and developing strategies and implementing public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with CDC guidance for the reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators and other staff.”
When CRSSA became law, more guidance was offered on how ESSER II was to be spent. These uses include addressing learning loss, preparing schools for reopening, and testing, repairing, and upgrading projects to improve air quality in school buildings.
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ESSER III
ESSER II
ESSER I
