ESSER Information

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Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) FUND

Congress set aside approximately $13.2 billion of the $30.75 billion allotted to the Education Stabilization Fund through the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund). Signed into law on March 27, 2020, the Department awarded these grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) for the purpose of providing local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are LEAs, with emergency relief funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools across the Nation.

ESSER Funds Comparison

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Federal funds have been distributed across the separate areas:

ESSER I – Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

The ESSER funds under the CARES Act were provided to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to address the impact that the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools in Florida. This includes developing and implementing plans for educational services and continued learning, whether school campuses are open or closed.

Summary of Fund: Passed on March 27, 2020, provided $55 billion to the ESSER Fund.
Intended Use: Intended to provide districts with emergency relief funds to address the impact COVID-19 has had on safety and barriers to providing educational services.

OCPS allocation of ESSER I funding is $55,446,693 with a spending deadline of September 30, 2022.

ESSER II – Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act

The ESSER II funds under the CRRSA Act are provided to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to address the impact that the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools in Florida. This includes helping school districts and other LEAs safely reopen schools, restore and maintain high-quality learning environments, measure and effectively address significant learning loss, and take other actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the students and families who depend on our K-12 schools.

Summary of Fund: Passed on Dec. 27, 2020, provided $244 billion in supplemental ESSER funding, known as the ESSER II Fund.
Intended Use: Intended to help school districts safely reopen schools, and with a focus on acceleration rather than remediation.

OCPS allocation of ESSER II funding is $244,651,865 with a spending deadline of September 30, 2023.

ESSER II funds were divided into 5 separate grant programs through the Florida Department of Education:

• Advance Lump Sum
• Non-Enrollment Assistance
• Academic Assistance
• Technology Assistance
• Balance of Lump Sum

Each ESSER II grant program has a separate application with unique requirements.

ESSER III – American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act

The ESSER III funds under the ARP Act are provided to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to address the impact that the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools in Florida. This includes helping school districts and other LEAs safely reopen schools, restore and maintain high-quality learning environments, measure and effectively address significant learning loss, and take other actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the students and families who depend on our K-12 schools.

The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (“ARP ESSER”) Fund, support the Nation’s schools in safely reopening and sustaining safe operations of schools while meeting the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic.

Summary of Fund: Passed on March 11, 2021, provided $550 billion in supplemental ESSER funding, known as the ESSER III fund.
Intended Use: Intended to reopen schools and accelerate learning and mitigate learning loss, allows LEAs broad discretion in determining those needs and encourages building long-term systems of support to modernize and sustain improvements.

OCPS allocation of ESSER III funding is $550,019,660 with a spending deadline of September 30, 2024.