COVID-19 Relief and School Reopening Grants

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The California Legislature provided $6.6 billion in the Assembly Bill 86 COVID-19 relief package , including $2 billion for In-Person Instruction (IPI) Grants and $4.6 billion for Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Grants. Governor Newsom signed AB 86 on March 5, 2021. The IPI and ELO Grant parameters were amended by AB 130 and AB 167 , signed by the Governor on July 9, 2021 and September 23, 2021, respectively.

In-Person Instruction and Expanded Learning Opportunities Funding Results

IPI and ELO Grants Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 29-Dec-2021)

Instructional Time and Distance Learning Requirements

Although in-person instruction for the purposes of the In-Person Instruction and Expanded Learning Opportunities Grants has been expanded to include hybrid models, instructional time requirements for the 2020-21 school year have not changed. Instructional time calculations continue to be based on time under the immediate physical supervision and control of a certificated employee for in-person instruction and time value of assignments made by and certified to by a certificated employee for distance learning.

Similarly, although under some circumstances a week of hybrid instruction can be considered in-person instruction for the purposes of the In-Person Instruction and Expanded Learning Opportunities Grants, LEAs must continue to meet distance learning requirements for all students that are assigned distance learning for any part of the instructional day. For more information on the instructional time and distance learning requirements, please see the 2020-21 Instructional Time FAQs.

In-Person Instruction Grants

To be eligible for full funding, Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) must offer in-person instruction, as defined in Education Code (EC) Section 43520.5, including hybrid models, by April 1, 2021 for specified student groups. IPI Grants are reduced by one percent for each calendared instructional day that an LEA did not offer in-person instruction for all required groups. IPI Grants are forfeited if an LEA did not offer in-person instruction for all required groups by May 15, 2021; if in-person instruction was not offered continuously through the end of the scheduled 2020–21 school year, unless otherwise ordered by a state or local health officer; or if an LEA did not complete the IPI Grant LEA Certification Form required by EC Section 43521(c)(5).

Every eligible LEA can reference the data provided on their IPI Grant LEA Certification Form using the link below. The California Department of Education (CDE) used this data, certified by LEAs, to calculate the revised IPI Grant allocation posted on the In-Person Instruction and Expanded Learning Opportunities Funding Results page.

IPI Grant LEA Certification Form – Data (XLSX; Added 29-Dec-2021)

IPI Grants may be used for any purpose consistent with providing in-person instruction for any pupil participating in in-person instruction, including, but not limited to, COVID-19 testing, cleaning and disinfection, personal protective equipment, ventilation and other schoolsite upgrades necessary for health and safety, salaries for certificated or classified employees providing in-person instruction or services, and social and mental health support services provided in conjunction with in-person instruction.

For questions about IPI Grants, please contact InPersonGrants@cde.ca.gov

Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant:

Federal ESSER II (3216), GEER II (3217), ESSER III-Emergency Needs (3218), ESSER III-Learning Loss (3219)

To be eligible for Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Grant funding, local educational agencies (LEAs), defined as school districts, county offices of education (COEs), charter schools, and state special schools, must implement a learning recovery program, that at a minimum, provides supplemental instruction, support for social and emotional well-being, and, to the maximum extent permissible under the guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture, meals and snacks to specified student groups, as defined in Education Code (EC) Section 43522, who have faced adverse learning and social-emotional circumstances.

Assurances

The ELO Grant assurance portal closed on June 1, 2022. LEAs that did not submit assurances will forfeit their ELO Grant federal allocation. The ELO Grant Assurances must be completed by LEAs as a condition of receiving funding. Using their federal stimulus funding unique login password, LEAs can access the assurances to check submission status at ELO Grants Search.

ELO Grant Plan

The ELO Grant Plan must have been completed by LEAs as a condition for receiving funding. The ELO Grant Plan must have been adopted by the local governing board or body of the LEA at a public meeting on or before June 1, 2021, and submitted to the COE, the California Department of Education (CDE), or the chartering authority within five days of adoption, as applicable. The original and revised ELO Grant Plan templates can be accessed below. Consistent with this plan, LEAs are to plan supplemental instruction and support in a tiered framework that bases universal, targeted, and intensive supports on pupils’ needs for academic, social-emotional, and other integrated pupil supports, and provides the services through a program of engaging learning experiences in a positive school climate.

LEA Template for the Plan (DOCX; Added 25-Mar-2021)

Errata to LEA Template for the Plan

Amending the Plan

LEAs may amend their ELO Grant Plan, including the planned expenditures, based on changes in student needs identified as part of the LEAs ongoing assessment of the needs of students identified for supplemental instruction and support. LEAs are encouraged to collaborate with community partners when amending their plan.

A materially altered plan should be brought to the governing board or body of the LEA for adoption. School districts must submit the amended plan to their COE; charter schools must submit their amended plans to their chartering authority; and COEs and school districts in a single-district county must submit their amended plans to the CDE by email at ELOGrants@cde.ca.gov. LEAs are also strongly encouraged to post an amended plan to the same web page as their LCAP.

Final Plan Submission

LEAs must update their ELO Grant Plans to include actual expenditures no later than December 1, 2024. Updated ELO Grant Plans must be adopted by the local governing board or body of the LEA at a public meeting and be submitted to the COE, the CDE, or the chartering authority within five days of adoption, as applicable. LEAs are also strongly encouraged to post their updated plan to the same web page as their LCAP.

Allowable Use of Funds

LEAs are required to use 85 percent of their ELO Grant apportionment for expenditures related to providing in-person services using only the 7 supplemental and support grant strategies listed below. LEAs are not required to implement each of the 7 grant strategies; rather LEAs are to work collaboratively with their community partners to identify the strategies to implement. LEAs are encouraged to engage, plan, and collaborate on program operation with community partners and expanded learning programs, and leverage existing behavioral health partnerships and Medi-Cal billing options, in the design and implementation of services. Resources for assisting LEAs in adapting each of the supplemental and support strategies to align with their purposes can be accessed on the Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Strategies web page. More information can be accessed on the IPI and ELO Grants Frequently Asked Questions web page. It is important to note that the CDE is not approving or denying individual requests for allowable expenditures. The CDE encourages LEAs to consult their agency’s legal department. The determination if an expense is allowable will take place through the independent audit.

• Extending instructional learning time
• Accelerating progress to close learning gaps
• Integrated pupil supports
• Community learning hubs
• Supports for credit deficient pupils
• Additional academic services
• Training for school staff

Apportionments

Federal ELO Grant funds are subject to federal cash management requirements. Twenty-five percent of each LEAs allocation was released as an advance. Remaining funds are released quarterly, to LEAs with ELO Grant Legal Assurances, based on each LEAs quarterly ELO Grant Expenditure Report. LEAs apportionment payments equal 25 percent of the respective ELO Grant federal allocation, plus expenditures, adjusted for funds previously paid. Apportionment information for Federal ELO Grant funds can be accessed on the ELO Grant (Federal Funds) Funding Results web page.

Quarterly Expenditure Reporting

The ELO Grant for Federal resources 3216, 3217, 3218, and 3219 follows the same reporting process as other federal stimulus funding. All LEAs that receive Federal ELO Grant funds must submit quarterly reports which include fiscal and programmatic expenditure information. Please note that LEAs designated as authorizing agencies for local charter schools are responsible for reporting quarterly and annual expenditures for the total allocation provided, including any expenditures of the locally funded charters authorized by the LEA. LEAs can report their ELO Grant expenditures on the Stimulus Funding Reporting web page. Additional information and assistance with reporting can be accessed on the Federal Stimulus Quarterly Reporting Help Page.

Completing the Report

Federal ELO Grant expenditure reports include all of the following sections:

Fund Overview

In this section, the LEA’s Federal ELO Grant total allocation, amount received, and previously reported expenditures, are pre-populated and the LEA reports its expenditures for the reporting period. Additionally, for ESSER II, resource 3216, and GEER II, resource 3217, LEAs will report obligated funds and the total amount not obligated or expended is calculated. All reported expenditures and obligations must be reported in whole numbers without decimals, commas, or other punctuation.

• Total Allocated Amount: This amount is prepopulated based on the allocations the CDE calculated the LEA is eligible to receive. This displays the total funds that will be available when all funds are disbursed and is consistent with the information provided on the IPI and ELO Grants Funding Results web page.
  
  
• Total Received Amount: This amount is prepopulated based on the funding the CDE has disbursed to the LEA. This number will be updated as additional apportionments are made.
  
  
• Previous Expended Amount: This amount is prepopulated based on all previous reports submitted by the LEA for this resource code. It is the cumulative total of expenditures reported to the CDE in prior quarters.
  
  
• Current Obligated Amount (UPDATE XX-Aug-2023): This field is new as of the 2023 Fall Quarterly Reporting Period and applies only to ESSER II, resource 3216, and GEER II, resource 3217. LEAs are required to report the amount of unexpended funds that remain obligated as of the last day of the applicable reporting period (example: for 2023 Winter, this field should reflect obligations remaining as of December 31, 2023, properly made by the obligation deadline). As a reminder, to be an allowable use of ESSER II and GEER II funds, the obligation must have properly occurred by September 30, 2023, the obligation deadline for these fund sources.
  
  Obligations are commitments of funds outlined in an agreement such as a contract, grant, purchase order, or requisition related to a good or service. This would not include salaries and wages of staff employed by the entity, nor would it include an approved plan for expenditures, such as a budget approved by a School Board. Please see 34 CFR 76.707 for specific definitions of when an obligation is made for various types of property and services.
  
  This value must be reported as a positive whole number without any decimals or other punctuation. Funds expended should not be included as an obligation to ensure it is not double counted. The amount entered in this box should represent the total remaining obligations (excluding expenditures) as of the last day of the applicable reporting period, even though liquidation of these obligations is anticipated in a later reporting period. Any obligations must be liquidated within 120 calendar days of the obligation deadline.
  
  The sum of the Previous Expended Amount, the Current Obligated Amount, and the Current Expended Amount must be less than or equal to the Total Allocated Amount.
  
  
• Current Expended Amount: LEAs are required to report the amount of funds they have expended since the reporting period the LEA last reported expenditures. LEAs do not need to include expenditures previously reported. The amount reported should be based on the final day of the reporting period and should not include any obligations that have not yet been liquidated.
  
  The number reported must be a whole number, and may range from 0 to the Total Allocated Amount (minus any amount previously reported as expended [Previous Expended Amount] and minus any amount reported in the Current Obligated Amount field). In addition, an LEA may enter a negative number to reflect any net adjustment, such as transferring costs to a different funding source. In this instance, the negative number can be no greater than the Previous Expended Amount. For example, if Previous Expended Amount is $10, the LEA may enter -$10, but not -$11.
  
  
• Amount not Obligated or Expended (UPDATE XX-Aug-2023): This field is new as of the 2023 Fall Quarterly Reporting Period and applies only to ESSER II, resource 3216, and GEER II, resource 3217. This field is automatically calculated with the Total Allocated Amount minus the sum of the Previous Expended Amount, the Current Obligated Amount, and the Current Expended Amount. Any amount above $0 in this field is subject to recoupment at the close of the 2023 Fall Quarterly Reporting Period.

Funds Expended

In this section, LEAs are required to provide information that details how they have spent their Federal ELO Grant funds by indicating the percentage of the total funds expended that was used for each of the 7 grant strategies, which are aligned to the allowable uses of this fund source as described in EC Section 43522(b).

• Total Expended (UPDATE XX-Aug-2023): This amount is automatically calculated by adding the Previous Expended Amount plus the Current Expended Amount in order to reflect the total expenditures of the fund source, as of the end of the applicable quarterly reporting cycle.This amount is informational to support calculating the relative percentage of funds expended in each of the 7 grant strategies.
  
  
• Grant Strategies (UPDATE XX-Aug-2023): Report the total percentage of funds expended, from the Total Expended, that has been used for each of the 7 grant strategies. All expenditures must be reasonable and necessary to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDE asks that LEAs use their best discretion to categorize expenditures in the most closely associated strategy. Additional information regarding each of the grant strategies listed below can be found on the Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Strategies web page.

Contact Information

In this section, the report filer provides his/her first and last name, title, email address, telephone number, and telephone extension (if applicable).

Certification

UPDATE (XX-Aug-2023): In this section, the report filer certifies that they are an authorized representative of the LEA and that the information reported is accurate to the best of their knowledge. For ESSER II, resource 3216, and GEER II, resource 3217, the report filer also acknowledges any unexpended amount that remains unobligated as of September 30, 2023 (the amount in the Amount Not Obligated or Expended field) is subject to recoupment at the close of the 2023 Fall Quarterly Reporting Period.

Finishing the Report

Once the report is complete, the LEA must save the report by clicking the “Save Data” button at the bottom of the page. If there is an issue, the reporting portal will indicate there are errors to be reviewed at the top of the web page. If there are no errors (or any errors have been resolved), you will see the message “Your data have been saved” indicating the report is complete (there is no submittal button).

Confirmation of Submission

To confirm submission of a report, ensure there is a date provided under “Date Submitted” on the main page of the reporting portal, to the far right of the reporting link for the specific resource.

Revising an Expenditure Report

Revising previous quarterly expenditure reports is not permitted. Instead, any necessary revisions should be made in the next available quarterly reporting cycle. For example, if expenditures were previously overreported, the amount overreported should be subtracted from the current quarter’s expenditures to enter into the “Current Expended Amount” field. This field will allow for a negative value if necessary. Alternatively, if expenditures were underreported, the amount not yet reported should be added to the current quarter’s expenditures to enter into the “Current Expended Amount” field.

LEAs should ensure that all percentages calculated within the “Funds Expended” section are based on the total cumulative expenditures of the fund source over the full grant period, not just the current quarter’s expenditures. As a note, indirect costs cannot be charged to ELO Grant federal fund sources. LEAs are encouraged to review which fund sources they may charge indirect costs to.

Quarterly Expenditure Report Data

The Federal ELO Grant Quarterly Expenditure Report data for Resource Codes 3216, 3217, 3218, and 3219, reported by LEAs, is available in the spreadsheets below. These reports are based on data reported during the 2023 Summer reporting period, which closed on July 1, 2023.

Resource 3216 ESSER II State Reserve (April 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023) (XLSX)

Resource 3217 GEER II (April 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023) (XLSX)

Resource 3218 ESSER III, State Reserve Emergency Needs (April 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023) (XLSX)

Resource 3219 ESSER III, State Reserve Learning Loss (April 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023) (XLSX)

Expenditure Reporting Timeline

The information below outlines the quarterly expenditure reporting windows and deadlines for each of the ELO Grant federal funding sources. Some deadlines remain to be determined (TBD) and will be updated as they draw nearer. Information about obligations for federal grants can be found in the California School Accounting Manual (CSAM), Procedure 765, Recognition of Legal Obligations in Reporting for Federal Grants.

ESSER II (Resource 3216) and GEER II (Resource 3217) - available for obligation through September 30, 2023

ESSER III-Emergency Needs (Resource 3218) and ESSER III-Learning Loss (Resource 3219) - available for obligation through September 30, 2024

State General Fund: Resource Codes 7425 and 7426

Of the total ELO Grant funds apportioned, LEAs may expend up to 15 percent to increase or improve services for pupils participating in distance learning or to support activities intended to prepare LEAs for in-person instruction, before in-person instructional services are offered. Per EC, Section 43522(c)(1)(A) and (B), of the total ELO Grant funds apportioned, LEAs shall use at least 10 percent of their apportionment to hire paraprofessionals to provide supplemental instruction and support through the duration of this program, with a priority for full-time paraprofessionals. Supplemental instruction and support shall be prioritized for English learners and pupils who are individuals with exceptional needs. It is the intent of the Legislature that LEAs prioritize rehiring paraprofessionals subject to layoff or release after the expiration of the protections included for classified employees in Section 94 of Chapter 24 of the Statutes of 2020, and further increasing the number of paraprofessional staff to meet these requirements. LEAs shall use the ELO Grant State General funds (resources 7425 and 7426) apportioned to them to fulfill these requirements.

Non-Classroom-Based Charters

Pursuant to EC Section 43522(d)(1), non-classroom-based charter schools that do not offer in-person instruction may expend up to 15 percent of the estimated total ELO Grant allocation to increase or improve services for pupils in distance learning. However, at least 10 percent of the funds apportioned under EC Section 43522(d)(3) must be used for paraprofessionals (EC Section 43522[c][1]). An example of how to calculate a non-classroom-based charter school’s allowable allocation is below.

Non-Classroom-Based Charter Allowable Allocation Example

Example:
Total ELO Grant Allocation: $200,000
15% of $200,000 = $30,000 (total amount available to a non-classroom-based LEA)
10% of $200,000 = $20,000 ($20,000 of the $30,000 must be spent on paraprofessionals)

• Resource 7425: $10,000 to increase or improve services for pupils participating in distance learning
• Resource 7426: $20,000 (minimum) to hire paraprofessionals to provide supplemental instruction and support

Accounting Guidance

Expenditures reported using Resource 7426 should be limited to paraprofessional staff salaries and benefits, e.g., Object 2100, Classified Instructional Salaries, and corresponding benefit objects 3XX2, using the appropriate goal and/or functions. In order to reduce the potential reporting burden on LEAs in the event that paraprofessional expenditures exceed the minimum ten percent required, (e.g., having to split one staff’s salary and benefit expenditure entries between Resource 7425 and Resource 7426), all ELO Grant paraprofessional staff expenditures should be reported using Resource 7426.

Revenue reported in Resource 7426 using Object 8590, All Other State Revenue, should equal ten percent of the funds appropriated under EC 43521(b)(3), as provided in column D.2 of the schedule of revised allocations for the ELO grant, available on the CDE IPI and ELO Grants Funding Results web page. Since Resource 7426 is used to record total ELO Grant paraprofessional salary and benefit expenditures, LEAs should record a contribution from Resource 7425 to Resource 7426 using Object 8990, Contributions from Restricted Revenues, for the excess of expenditures over the minimum required ten percent, i.e., amount reported in Object 8590. Please note that the contribution should be limited to the actual expenditures incurred. In addition, restricted contributions can only be made to Resource 7426 from Resource 7425. Appropriate documentation should be maintained to demonstrate that the contribution is made from Resource 7425 to Resource 7426. For more information regarding accounting practices, LEAs can access the Accounting for AB 86 Funding-IPI and ELO Grants web page.

Expenditure Reporting

All LEAs that receive State ELO Grant funds must submit an expenditure report which will include fiscal and programmatic information. LEAs can report their ELO Grant expenditures on the Federal Stimulus Funding Reporting web page. For additional information and assistance with reporting, please access the Federal Stimulus Quarterly Reporting Help Page.

LEAs are required to report expenditures for each funding resource and for each of the 7 grant strategies. Please note that LEAs designated as authorizing agencies for local charter schools are responsible for reporting quarterly and annual expenditures for the total allocation provided, including any expenditures of the locally funded charters authorized by the LEA.

Completing the Report

State ELO Grant expenditure reports include all of the following sections:

Fund Overview

In this section, the LEA’s ELO Grant total allocations for both State resources (7425 and 7426) are pre-populated and LEAs report current expenditures for the reporting period. All reported expenditures must be in whole numbers without decimals, commas, or other punctuation.

• Allocated Amount (Resource 7425): This amount is prepopulated based on the allocations the CDE calculated the LEA is eligible to receive. This displays the total funds disbursed and is consistent with the information provided on the IPI and ELO Grants Funding Results web page under Allocations (State Funds): Expanded Learning Opportunities Grants—Second Revision to Allocation.
  
  
• Expended Amount (Resource 7425): LEAs are required to report the amount of funds they have expended. The number reported must be a whole number, and may range from 0 to the Total Allocated Amount.
  
  
• Allocated Amount (Resource 7426 Paraprofessionals): This amount is prepopulated based on the following in statute: A LEA shall use at least 10 percent of its apportionment to hire paraprofessionals to provide supplemental instruction and support through the duration of this program, with a priority for full-time paraprofessionals (EC, Section 43522[c][1][A]).
  
  
• Expended Amount (Resource 7426 Paraprofessionals): LEAs are required to report the amount of funds they have expended. The number reported must be a whole number, and may range from 0 to the Total Allocated Amount.

Funds Expended (Resource 7425)

In this section, LEAs are required to provide information that details how they have spent their State ELO Grant (resource 7425) funds by indicating the percentage of the total funds expended for this resource that was used for each of the 7 grant strategies, which are aligned to the allowable uses of this fund source as described in EC Section 43522(b).

Grant Strategies (UPDATE XX-Aug-2023): Report the total percentage of funds expended, from the Current Expended amount for resource 7425, that has been used for each of the 7 grant strategies. All expenditures must be reasonable and necessary to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDE asks that LEAs use their best discretion to categorize expenditures in the most closely associated strategy. Additional information regarding each of the grant strategies can be found on the Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Strategies web page.

Funds Expended (Resource 7426)

In this section, LEAs are required to provide information that details how they have spent their State ELO Grant (resource 7426 paraprofessionals) funds by indicating the percentage of the total funds expended that was used for each of the 7 grant strategies, which are aligned to the allowable uses of this fund source as described in EC Section 43522(b).

Grant Strategies (UPDATE XX-Aug-2023): Report the total percentage of funds expended, from the Current Expended amount for resource 7426, that has been used for each of the 7 grant strategies. All expenditures must be reasonable and necessary to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDE asks that LEAs use their best discretion to categorize expenditures in the most closely associated strategy. Additional information regarding each of the grant strategies can be found on the Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Strategies web page.

Contact Information

In this section, the report filer provides his/her first and last name, title, email address, telephone number, and telephone extension (if applicable)

Finishing the Report

Once the report is complete, the LEA must save the report by clicking the “Save Data” button at the bottom of the page. If there is an issue, the reporting portal will indicate there are errors to be reviewed at the top of the web page. If there are no errors (or any errors have been resolved), you will see the message “Your data have been saved”, indicating that the report is complete (there is no submittal button).

Confirmation of Submission

To confirm submission of a report, ensure there is a date provided under “Date Submitted” on the main page of the reporting portal to the far right of the reporting link for the specific resource.

Revising an Expenditure Report

Revising previous quarterly expenditure reports is not permitted. Instead, any necessary revisions should be made in the next available quarterly reporting cycle. For example, if expenditures were previously overreported, the amount overreported should be subtracted from the current quarter’s expenditures to enter into the “Expended Amount” field. This field will allow for a negative value if necessary. Alternatively, if expenditures were underreported, the amount not yet reported should be added to the current quarter’s expenditures to enter into the “Expended Amount” field.

LEAs should ensure that all percentages calculated within the “Funds Expended” section are based on the total cumulative expenditures of the fund source over the full grant period, not just the current quarter’s expenditures.

Quarterly Expenditure Report Data

The State ELO Grant Expenditure Report data for Resource Codes 7425 and 7426, reported by LEAs, is available in the spreadsheet below. This report is based on data reported during the 2023 Summer reporting period, which closed on July 1, 2023.

Resources 7425 and 7426 State General Fund (April 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023) (XLSX)

Expenditure Reporting Timeline

The information below outlines the expenditure reporting windows and deadlines for the ELO Grant state funding sources (dates are subject to change). Resources 7425 and 7426 are subject to ending fund balances and are available for expenditures through September 30, 2024. Carryovers of unexpended balances in these resources are reported as restricted ending balances (Object 9740).

Resources 7425 and 7426—available for obligation March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2024