Side-by-side: ESSER, ESSER II, and ARP ESSER allowable activities

What money from the three funding bills - CARES Act, CRRSA Act, and the American Rescue Plan, can be spent on.

Side-by-side: ESSER,
ESSER II, and ARP ESSER allowable activities

ESSER, passed as Section 18003 of the CARES Act in March 2020; ESSER II, passed as Section 313 of the CRRSA Act in December 2020; and ARP ESSER, included in Section 2001 of the American Rescue Plan Act, H.R. 1319, provides billions in funding for state and local educational agencies to spend on allowable activities to respond to COVID-19.

The following side-by-side chart shows the allowable activities for each pool of funding.

Allowable Activities for ESSER, ESSER II, and ARP
ESSER

ESSER
(CARES Act)

ESSER II (CRRSA Act)

ARP ESSER (ARP Act)

Any activities authorized under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act, IDEA, Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act,
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, and McKinney-Vento. CARES Act
Section 18003(d)(1).

Any activities authorized under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, IDEA, Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, and McKinney-Vento.
CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(1).

Any activities authorized under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, IDEA, Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act, and Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. ARP Act
Section 2001(e)(2)(A) through Section 2001(e)(2)(D).

Coordination of preparedness and
response efforts of LEAs with state, local, tribal, and territorial public
health departments, and other relevant agencies, to prevent, prepare for, and
respond to the coronavirus. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(2).

Coordination
of preparedness and response efforts of LEAs with state, local, tribal, and
territorial public health departments, and other relevant agencies, to
prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. CRRSA Act Section
313(d)(2).

Coordination
of preparedness and response efforts of LEAs with state, local, tribal, and
territorial public health departments, and other relevant agencies, to
prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. ARP Act Section
2001(e)(2)(E).

Providing resources for principals and others
school leaders to address school-specific needs. CARES Act Section
18003(d)(3).

Providing resources for principals and others
school leaders to address school-specific needs. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(3).

Not included in ARP Act.

Activities that address unique needs
of low-income children or students, children with disabilities, English
learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness,
and foster care youths, including how outreach and service delivery will meet
the needs of each population. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(4).

Activities
that address unique needs of low-income children or students, children with
disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students
experiencing homelessness, and foster care youths, including how outreach and
service delivery will meet the needs of each population. CRRSA Act Section
313(d)(4).

Activities
that address unique needs of low-income children or students, children with
disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students
experiencing homelessness, and foster care youths, including how outreach and
service delivery will meet the needs of each population. ARP Act Section
2001(e)(2)(F).

Developing and implementing procedures and
systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of LEAs. CARES Act
Section 18003(d)(5).

Developing and implementing procedures and
systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of LEAs. CRRSA Act
Section 313(d)(5).

Developing and implementing procedures and
systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of LEAs. ARP Act
Section 2001(e)(2)(G).

Training and professional
development for LEA staff on sanitation and minimizing the spread of
infectious diseases. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(6).

Training
and professional development for LEA staff on sanitation and minimizing the
spread of infectious diseases. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(6).

Training
and professional development for LEA staff on sanitation and minimizing the
spread of infectious diseases. ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(H).

Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean
facilities operated by an LEA. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(7).

Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean facilities
operated by an LEA. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(7).

Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean
facilities operated by an LEA. ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(I).

Planning and coordination during
long-term closures, including how to provide meals to eligible students, how
to provide online learning technology to all students, how to provide
guidance on meeting IDEA requirements, and how to ensure other educational
services can continue to be provided consistent with federal, state, and
local requirements. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(8).

Planning
and coordination during long-term closures, including how to provide meals to
eligible students, how to provide online learning technology to all students,
how to provide guidance on meeting IDEA requirements, and how to ensure other
educational services can continue to be provided consistent with federal,
state, and local requirements. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(8).

Planning
and coordination during long-term closures, including how to provide meals to
eligible students, how to provide online learning technology to all students,
how to provide guidance on meeting IDEA requirements, and how to ensure other
educational services can continue to be provided consistent with federal,
state, and local requirements. ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(J).

Purchasing educational technology, which
could include hardware, software, and connectivity, for students served by
the LEA that aids in regular, substantive educational interaction between
students and educators, including low-income students and students with
disabilities. This could also include assistive technology or adaptive
equipment. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(9).

Purchasing educational technology, which
could include hardware, software, and connectivity, for students served by the
LEA that aids in regular, substantive educational interaction between
students and educators, including low-income students and students with
disabilities. This could also include assistive technology or adaptive
equipment. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(9).

Purchasing educational technology, which
could include hardware, software, and connectivity, for students served by
the LEA that aids in regular, substantive educational interaction between
students and educators, including low-income students and students with
disabilities. This could also include assistive technology or adaptive
equipment. ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(K).

Providing mental health services
and supports. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(10).

Providing
mental health services and supports. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(10).

Providing
mental health services and supports. ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(L).

Planning and implementing summer learning and
supplemental afterschool program activities, including providing classroom
instruction or online learning during the summer months and addressing the
needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners,
migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster
care. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(11).

Planning and implementing summer learning and
supplemental afterschool program activities, including providing classroom
instruction or online learning during the summer months and addressing the
needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners,
migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster
care. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(11).

Planning and implementing summer learning and
supplemental afterschool program activities, including providing classroom
instruction or online learning during the summer months and addressing the
needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners,
migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster
care. ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(M).

Other activities necessary to
maintain the operation of and continuity of services in LEAs and continuing
to employ existing staff. CARES Act Section 18003(d)(12).

Other
activities necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services
in LEAs and continuing to employ existing staff. CRRSA Act Section
313(d)(15).

Other
activities necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services
in LEAs and continuing to employ existing staff ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(R)

Addressing learning loss among all students
in all subgroups, including by:

·
Administering high-quality, reliable assessments that can assess student
academic progress and assist educators in meeting student needs, including by
using differentiated instruction.

·
Implementing evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of
students.

·
Providing information and assistance to parents and families on ways to
support students.

·
Tracking student performance and engagement in distance learning
environments. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(12).

Addressing learning loss among all students
in all subgroups, including by:

·
Administering high-quality, reliable assessments that can assess student
academic progress and assist educators in meeting student needs, including by
using differentiated instruction.

·
Implementing evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of
students.

· Providing information and
assistance to parents and families on ways to support students.

·
Tracking student performance and engagement in distance learning
environments. ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(N).

School
facility repairs and improvements to enable operation of schools to reduce
risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards and
support student health needs. CRRSA Act Section 313(d)(13).

School
facility repairs and improvements to enable operation of schools to reduce
risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards and
support student health needs. ARP Act Section 2001(e)(2)(O).

Inspecting, testing, maintaining, repairing,
replacing, and upgrading projects to improve the indoor air quality in school
facilities, including HVAC systems, filtering, purification and other air
cleaning, fans, control systems, and window and door repair and replacement. CRRSA
Act Section 313(d)(14).

Inspecting, testing, maintaining, repairing,
replacing, and upgrading projects to improve the indoor air quality in school
facilities, including HVAC systems, filtering, purification and other air
cleaning, fans, control systems, and window and door repair and replacement. ARPA
Section 2001(e)(2)(P).

Development
of strategies and implementation of public health protocols that align with
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on reopening and
operating school facilities to maintain the health and safety of students,
educators, and other staff. ARPA Section 2001(e)(2)(Q).

*Source: CARES Act
Section 18003; CRRSA Act Section 313; and American Rescue Plan Act, H.R.
1319.

Charles Hendrix covers education funding and other Title I issues for LRP Publications.

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Charles Hendrix
Charles Hendrix
Charles Hendrix has been writing about federal K-12 education policy, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, since 2006, and has in-depth knowledge of Capitol Hill and the federal legislative process. He is a senior editor with LRP Publications and the author of What Do I Do When® The Answer Book on Title I – Fourth Edition. He lives in South Florida with his son and their trusted chiweenie, Junior.

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