ESSER III – American Rescue Plan Funding 2020-23

ESSER III – American Rescue Plan Funding 2020-23

May 24, 2021 | Grants Management

ESSER III is bigger and better than its prequel ESSER I, but the critics say the sequel is packed with much more red tape. CSS has been busy attending numerous TEA trainings in preparation for the debut of ESSER III, and today’s article will summarize all the requirements of this blockbuster. The prep time will be extensive, but the payoff will be large as ESSER III is an unprecedented federal funding package in response to the national pandemic.

ESSER III funding amounts are available by clicking here. The grant application that is due 7/27/21 will be submitted in eGrants for the first 2/3 of the funding. You will amend the grant in late summer or early fall for the remaining 1/3.

Planning Requirements

ESSER III has extensive planning requirements that must be complete prior to submitting the grant. Pre-award back to March 13, 2020 is allowed. In an unusual move, TEA has said that the funds can be obligated prior to the stamp-in date. If you spend before you submit the grant, this would go under pre-award as well as any COVID-related expenses you choose to reclassify.

The following plans must be written, reviewed by stakeholders, and made available for public comment prior to turning in the grant:

  1. Use of Funds Plan– See slides 8-17 for plan requirements. Click here to see sample district plans.
  2. Return to In-person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan (RIPICS) – – See slides 18-27 for RIPICS plan requirements. Click here to see RIPICS Guiding Questions. This plan must be reviewed every 6 months.
  4. Learning Loss 20% reservation of funds – Charter district must reserve 20% of grant funds to address learning loss. Click here(Excel and accessible PDF) for a Learning Acceleration Readiness Reflection Tool. This tool is optional; however, tab 2 can serve as a needs assessment and help your LEA make sure you are doing everything recommended to address learning loss.
  5. Needs Assessment – The options for ESSER III needs assessments are listed in the grant application (the actual application is in eGrants).

Stakeholder Input

As is customary for all federal grants, the LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders. Documentation of engagement with all stakeholders must show the following groups were included:

Stakeholders – the LEA MUST include: AND To the extent these groups are active in your Charter
students, families, school and district administrators  (including special education administrators),teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff Tribes, civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations); and stakeholders representing the interests of:    children with disabilities,    English learners,    children experiencing homelessness,    children in foster care,    migratory students,    children who are incarcerated, and    other underserved students

Surveys are an option to gather stakeholder input.  Click here for sample stakeholder survey questions.

Public Notice and Comment

Before any federal grant applications are submitted, the applicant must provide public notice, a reasonable opportunity for public comment on the application, and consider the comments before submitting. This is usually done by posting the plan for federal funds on a Board meeting agenda; however, you may provide other types of public notice providing it is posted publicly, gives an opportunity for public comment, and is documented. See the attached guidance document regarding public comments. It is highly recommended by TEA that each LEA have a written policy or procedure outlining the LEA’s methods for advertising public notices and providing opportunity for public comments — including the handling of translation.

The CSS Federal and Finance teams will assist our clients with planning and preparation of the ESSER III grant to ensure program compliance.

Other ESSER Considerations

  • The expenses from ESSER III must be in response to the impact Covid-19 has had, and continues to have, on the Charter District — including learning loss, student and staff health and safety, and social and emotional well-being.
  • ESSER III funds may be spent through September 30, 2024, so LEAs should carefully consider distribution of annual expenses and plan for the eventual ending of the funds (the so-called “funding cliff”).
  • There is no supplement-not-supplant provision in ESSER III. You can supplant, but careful consideration should be given to your MOE. ESSER III will not affect PIC spending on state funds as it will be added to fund 420 PIC expenses for calculating % spending requirements. BUT it will impact federal ESSA MOE which requires total operating expenditures and expenditures per pupil to be at least 90% as the prior year. It could also impact SPED MOE because it is calculated for federal purposes. CSS recommends avoiding supplanting SPED expenses.
  • ESSER III allows the unrestricted indirect cost rate if your charter district already applied for a 2021-22 indirect cost rate (deadline was 3/31/21). The unrestricted rate is higher and will allow you to keep a large percentage of ESSER III money to pay yourself back. It is rather like getting a cash back bonus on purchases.
  • ESSER III had a very short turn-around timeframe, so issues are revolving quickly. The FAQ Document is being updated frequently by TEA to answer questions as they come in.
  • Remember, the grant is due in eGrants by 7/27/21.

Questions? Please contact:

Get more information:

To ask questions, get answers, and discuss this topic, please visit the Charter School Community Roundtable.