On May 13, 2020, as a result of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) submittal of its application for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), Governor Tom Wolf announced that USDE has approved $523.8 million in one-time federal emergency funds to help schools respond to COVID-19 impacts.

PA Local education agencies (LEAs) can apply to PDE to receive their allocation of the funding and can expect to start receiving funds within the next several weeks.

Under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, at least 90 percent, or $471 million, of the funds will flow through to traditional public schools and charter schools. Each entity will receive an amount proportional to federal Title I-A funds received in 2019 under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

LEAs may use ESSER funding for a wide range of purposes, including food service, professional training, technology purchases, sanitization and cleaning supplies, summer and after-school programs, and mental health supports. Funds must be used by September 2022. PDE is urging school entities to prioritize investments for vulnerable students and families, including those living in the deepest poverty, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.

Click here to view a list of what each school district and charter school will receive in ESSER funds.

The remaining ESSER funds will be used for state-level activities to address issues caused by COVID-19. PDE plans to use the funds to support initiatives, including remote learning, that can be designed and implemented with greater economy of scale at the state level than would be possible or practical for LEAs to pursue individually.

LEAs can apply for ESSER funds via eGrants. Each entity will receive an amount proportional to federal Title I-A funds received in 2019 under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). As with all federal funds, payments will be disbursed on a monthly schedule; however, because ESSER is retroactive to March 13, the initial payment may be larger and reflect monthly allocations between March 13 and the date of a district’s application approval. PDE estimates that schools will begin to receive funds in June.

See PDE’s CARES Act website for information, FAQs and more.