Federal COVID Funding
The United States Congress has provided several rounds of funding to school districts across the nation to assist with COVID-related expenses.
- American Rescue Plan
- Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA)
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
To access information on how schools are spending their federal COVID relief funds, visit the
South Dakota Department of Education's Financial Transparency Dashboard.
To access information on how the Department of Education is using its federal COVID relief funds to support schools, visit the Supporting Schools After the Pandemic webpage.
Federal Reporting
| Federal Reporting | |
|---|---|
| March 2023, Webinar ESSER Year 3, Playback | March 2023, Webinar ESSER Year 3, handout |
American Rescue Plan
South Dakota ARP ESSER State Plan (updated 12/2022)The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021. It is a massive economic package - the third in a series provided by the federal government - addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public School Districts, as a requirement of receiving ARP ESSER funds, must keep both ARP ESSER LEA and Safe Return Plans up to date. That is accomplished by:
- Taking public comment on the district's Safe Return Plan at a minimum of every six months through the life of the funds. Districts will assure this requirement has been met every June and December through September 2024.
- Amending a district's ARP ESSER LEA Plan, and posting that amended plan on the district's website, should the district propose significant changes for spending ARP ESSER funds.
American Rescue Plan Emergency Assistance To Non-Public Schools (ARP EANS)
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) was signed into law on March 11, 2021. The ARP Act extends the EANS program authorized under section 312(d) of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA). On July 9, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education released further guidance for the ARP EANS program. DOE's ARP EANS application was approved by the U.S. Department of Education on January 24, 2022.
| ARP |
|---|
| ARP EANS Guidance to Schools |
| ARP EANS Application Template (updated 02/24/2022) |
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA)
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act was signed into law Dec. 27, 2020. It is considered a sequel to the CARES Act.
| Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II) |
|---|
| ESSER II Guidance for Public Schools |
| ESSER II Preliminary Allocations (Updated: 3/18/2021) |
| ESSER II Fact Sheet |
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. It provides money for the EANS fund as part of the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER), which was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) in March 2020. On March 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education released further guidance for the EANS program.
| Emergency Assistance To Non-Public Schools (EANS) |
|---|
| EANS Frequently Asked Questions |
| EANS Preliminary Share 2021 |
| EANS Guidance to Schools |
| EANS Application Template |
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES)
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law on March 27, 2020. It includes several grant programs to help educational entities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus:
- Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)
- Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER)
- Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF)
| ESSER |
|---|
| ESSER Application Instructions |
| ESSER Fact Sheet |
| ESSER I Final Allocations |
| FAQs ESSER Fund |
| US ED ESSER website |
| SPED MOE Q&A |
| April 29 Memo from South Dakota Department of Education |
| GEER |
|---|
| GEER I Guidance to Education Cooperatives |
| GEER Coop Application Template |
| GEER Afterschool program Application |
| CRF |
|---|
| ESSER Coronavirus Relief Funds Calculations (Updated: 03/29/2021) |
| September 2020 CRF Payment |