In response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) the U.S. Congress over passed the CARES Act, CRRSA Act and ARP Act, relief packages designed in part to provide states with both funding and streamlined waivers to give state educational agencies (SEAs) necessary flexibilities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The relief packages have included almost $200 billion in emergency education funding, channeled for public schools mainly through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund).
State awards for the ESSER Funds, round I, II and III, are in the same proportion that each state received under Title I, Part A in fiscal year (FY) 2019–20. Each state must use no less than 90 percent of its allocation to make subgrants to local education agencies (LEAs), based on each LEA’s share of funds received under Title I, Part A in fiscal year 2019–20.