Category: Federal Government Actions

PA Submits SNAP P-EBT Plan to USDA (April 24, 2020)

According to PSBA, earlier this week the PA Department of Human Services and PDE submitted a state plan to the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. This program, known as Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), is temporary and is designed to bridge the gap left by schools closing due to the COVID-19 crisis.
 
If approved by the USDA, the plan would provide P-EBT to households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program due to pandemic-related school closures. P-EBT benefits would be issued through EBT cards issued to qualifying families.

At this point, the state is waiting USDA approval.

Sincere thanks to PSBA for the information contained in this article.

USDE Announces GEER Block Grants (April 17, 2020)

On April 14, 2020, the US Department of Education (USDE) announced that nearly $3 billion will be made available to governors to ensure education continues for students of all ages impacted by the coronavirus national emergency. The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is a flexible “emergency block grant” designed to enable governors to decide how best to meet the needs of students, schools (including charter schools and non-public schools), postsecondary institutions, and other education-related organizations. Pennsylvania will be able to receive $104, 418, 240.00.

In an effort to get these emergency funds to states as quickly as possible, USDE has streamlined the application process and reduced the red tape and delays typically associated with the award of federal grant funds; all that is required is the completion of a brief application, which can be digitally signed and submitted in PDF to the email address [email protected]. 

The application, including instructions to apply, is available on the Department’s website at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/governors-emergency-education-relief-fund/. Once states have submitted the signed PDF, the Department expects to obligate the funds within three business days.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Authorizes New Funding Flexibilities to Support Continued Learning During COVID-19 National Emergency (April 7, 2020)

On Monday, April 6th, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced a new streamlined process for providing states funding flexibilities to best meet the needs of students and educators during the COVID-19 national emergency. The new flexibilities, authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, allow schools to repurpose existing K-12 education funds for technology infrastructure and teacher training on distance learning, among other flexibilities to move resources to areas of highest need during the national emergency. 

Any state may complete a brief form available at oese.ed.gov, and it will receive an initial determination within one business day. Using the form, states can receive flexibility in the use of funds and other requirements covered under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), including the Title I, Parts A-D, Title II, Title III, Part A, Title IV, Parts A-B, and Title V programs. Specifically, states may request a waiver of:

  • Section 1127(b) of Title I, Part A of the ESEA to waive the 15% carryover limitation for Title I, Part A funds;
  • Section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) to extend the period of availability of prior fiscal year funds, for Title I, Parts A-D, Title II, Title III, Part A, Title IV, Parts A-B, and Title V, Part B programs, and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Children and Youth program;
  • Section 4106(d) of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA to waive a needs assessment to justify the use of funds;
  • Section 4106(e)(2)(C), (D), and (E) of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA to waive content-specific spending requirements;
  • Section 4109(b) of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA to waive spending restrictions on technology infrastructure; and
  • Section 8101(42) of the ESEA to waive the definition of “professional development,” which might otherwise limit the ability to quickly train school leaders and teachers on topics like effective distance learning techniques.

This action follows USDE’s earlier announcement of a turnkey waiver process allowing states to cancel federally-mandated standardized testing, in response to widespread school closures in the wake of the declaration of a national emergency. Since that announcement, Secretary DeVos has approved waivers for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It further builds on the Department’s actions to support states and local education leaders since the outbreak of COVID-19, including guidance on ensuring students with disabilities have access to distance learning opportunities and providing an extension for states that need additional time to develop career and technical education plans under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).

To learn more on this topic, please read the press release by clicking here.

USDA Grants PA Waiver Request, All Students Now Eligible for Free Meals (March 30, 2020)

On Monday, March 29, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Education announced receipt of waiver approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow schools to provide free meals to all children during the statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Before receiving the waiver, schools that did not meet area-based free or reduced-price meal eligibility requirements were unable to offer free meals to all students. The waiver eases those requirements, allowing all children to have access to food.

Many thanks to the Morning Call.