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ESSER II Fund Frequently Asked Questions

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) II fund frequently asked questions and responses.

Acronyms

Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA); American Rescue Plan Act (ARP Act); Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act); California Department of Education (CDE); Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA Act); Career and Technical Education (CTE); Community Violence Intervention (CVI); Emergency Assistance for Non-public Schools (EANS); Education Code (EC); U.S. Department of Education (ED); Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant (ELO-G); Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Fiscal Year (FY); Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER); heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); local educational agency (LEA); Standardized Account Code Structure (SACS); state educational agency (SEA); School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV); science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)

Note on Guidance

Please note that the information below is intended as guidance only, not legal advice, and is updated as more guidance is made available by ED. The CDE recommends that LEAs discuss their specific situations with legal counsel to determine the most appropriate action, in line with applicable State and federal requirements.

General

  1. Do LEAs need to apply for ESSER II funds? (Updated 18-Nov-2022)
  2. Do any supplement not supplant requirements apply to ESSER II funds?
  3. What are the allowable uses of ESSER II funds?
  4. What does it mean for ESSER and GEER funds to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic? (Added 7-Jan-2022)
  1. How long do LEAs have to use ESSER II funds?
  2. Must LEAs pay existing contracts in order to receive ESSER II funds?
  3. Are ESSER II funds subject to an equitable services requirement?
  4. Can Federal Stimulus Funds be used for CVI programs and strategies? (Added 2-Nov-2021)
  5. Can ESSER funds be used toward strategies for hiring and retaining qualified and effective educators and other staff? (Updated 21-Dec-2023)
  6. Can ESSER funds be used to support college and career readiness opportunities for students? (Added 18-Nov-2022)
  7. What are some examples of allowable expenditures LEAs are using stimulus funds for? (Added 10-Jan-2022)
  1. How have other LEAs used Federal Stimulus Funds to support students? (Added 17-May-2022)
  2. How may an LEA use ESSER and GEER funds to address chronic absenteeism? Can we offer incentives? (Added 9-Jan-2023)
  3. How may an LEA use ESSER and GEER funds to support English learners (also referred to as multilingual learners)? (Added 9-Jan-2023)
  4. Can LEAs use ESSER and GEER funds to provide meals for students or cover the cost of waiving outstanding school meals balances of students from low-income backgrounds? (Added 9-Jan-2023)
  5. Can ESSER and GEER funds be used to support STEM education? (Added 9-Jan-2023)

Funding

  1. How much funding was California awarded for ESSER II funds?
  2. Will the CDE post preliminary allocations?
  3. Are LEAs that did not receive Title I funds in FY 2020–21 eligible for ESSER II funds?
  4. Why is the CDE not apportioning an LEA’s full allocation? How will payments be calculated?
  5. How often will LEAs receive payment?
  6. Can my LEA get an extension to spend these funds? (Updated 21-Dec-2023)

Reporting

  1. Can LEAs use funds to reimburse previous expenses?
  2. Will LEAs be required to report to CDE on these funds? (Updated 28-Jul-2021)
  3. Will LEAs be required to track ESSER I, II, and III funds separately?

Vaccinations

  1. Can ESSER and GEER funds be used to conduct vaccine clinics? (Added 13-Jul-2021)
  2. Are administrative costs associated with providing vaccinations allowable under ESSER and GEER funds? (Added 13-Jul-2021)
  3. Can we give students incentives for getting vaccinated? (Added 13-Jul-2021)
  4. Is it just students, or can families get vaccinated at an ESSER or GEER funded vaccination clinic? (Added 13-Jul-2021)
  5. Is COVID-19 screening and testing allowable under ESSER and GEER? (Added 13-Jul-2021)

Transportation

  1. May an LEA use ESSER or GEER funds to provide transportation for students to and from school? (Added 18-Nov-2021)
  2. May an LEA use ESSER or GEER funds to provide transportation for students participating in after-school learning and enrichment activities provided by the LEA? (Added 18-Nov-2021)
  3. May an LEA use ESSER or GEER funds to address a shortage of school bus drivers due to the pandemic? (Added 18-Nov-2021)
  4. May an LEA facing a shortage of school bus drivers use ESSER or GEER funds to compensate parents or guardians for transporting their students to and from school? (Added 18-Nov-2021)
Questions:   CDE Federal Stimulus Team | EDReliefFunds@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, January 7, 2025
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    Information on the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, including the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) II fund and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) II fund.
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