Thank You to Everyone that Attended Our Ready, Set, Relief Webinars!
Stay tuned for additional information on upcoming webinars on how school districts can utilize ESSER Federal Funding!
Resources from Our “Ready, Set, Relief” Webinars
Contact Information:
- Minnesota
- Dave Bergeron – Principal at ICS
- Jeff Schiltz – Principal at ICS
- Pennsylvania
- Arif Quraishi – Principal at ICS
- Phil Solomon – Regional Manager at ICS
- South Dakota
- Pat Overom – Principal at ICS
- Michael Hubbard – Regional Manager at ICS
- Iowa
- Ryan Hoffman – Project Development Manager
- Karen Klein – Cooperative Accounts Manager at ICS
- Additional Contacts
- Todd Rapp – President and CEO at Rapp Strategies
ASHRAE Resources
- Position Document on Infectious Aerosols
- Reopening Schools and Universities C19 Guidance
- ASHRAE Technical Resources
Reopening Schools and Universities COVID-19 Guidance
Additional Resources
FAQs from Our Webinars
A: Eligible recipients are Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) including school districts and charter schools. Funding amounts are based on Title I, Part A funding formulas for the prior year of reporting.
A: This could be considered a potential learning loss strategy if you can demonstrate students will receive more services if there are less students in the classroom. This may also qualify as a COVID-related expense if you are distancing students per CDC guidelines.
A: Yes, roof top units can be addressed as well as other HVAC equipment to ASHRAE minimums. Caution: look at lifecycle basis and energy costs.
A: Per item. The federal guidelines for construction or equipment procurement apply. Expenses of $5,000 or greater will need prior approval and are based per item or unit.
A: Application materials and budget worksheets are now available for Minnesota recipients through the SERVS Financial System. Use this Link to Enter SERVS Financial System.
A: Section 421 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), commonly referred to as the “Tydings amendment” provides that any funds appropriated for an applicable program that are not obligated and expended by the recipient educational agencies and institutions before the end of the fiscal year shall remain available for obligation and expenditure for one additional fiscal year.
A: No. Federal funds cannot be used for capital improvements in leased spaces.
A: Yes, construction projects require prior approval and are also subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Procurement – 2 CFR § 200.317-327
- Construction – 34 CFR § 75.600-617
- Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules – 20 U.S. Code § 1232b
- Uniform Grant Guidance Rules – 2 CFR § 200.310-316
- Prior approval rules – 2 CFR § 200.439
- Rules on real property – 2 CFR § 200.311
- Rules on financing costs – 2 CFR § 200.449
- EDGAR construction rules – 34 CFR § 76.660, 34 CFR §§ 75.600-75.617
A: The allowable uses of ESSER II and III funds is very broad. If a district is able to justify the use of the funds as COVID-19 related, it could be considered an allowable use of funds. If by renovating a section of the building, students are better able to social distance, this could be considered an allowable use of funds.
A: Yes, everything a district does with ESSER I, II and III funds must be justifiable to an auditor as COVID-related. A district must be able to document how all of these expenditures are COVID-related.
A: The CARES Act requires entities that receive more than $150,000 in CARES Act funds to report certain information about their spending quarterly (including how much they received, what projects they supported with CARES Act funds, how much they spent on each project, and information about sub-grants and contracts).
A: Yes. As with all federal funds, ESSER funds may only be used to pay staff for work that has actually occurred. Therefore, LEAs must ensure that the work on allowable activities occurred through proper time and effort documentation. Stating all staff will receive stipends (regardless of whether the work was performed and documented) will likely result in audit risk. While across the board stipends are not permitted (as “universal” or “across the board” does not in and of itself demonstrate sufficient documentation), LEAs may pay staff for COVID-related work that has been documented. Most, if not all, staff likely had extra responsibilities as well as time and effort to respond to the pandemic. ESSER funds can be used to pay staff for that work and LEAs are responsible for documenting (with internal controls) that this work occurred. This is consistent with guidance on all salary and stipend payments with all federal funds.
Additionally, ESSER funds can be used towards hazard pay, staff retention and to maintain operations in so far as you have direct rationale as these are direct covid-related expenses.
A: The use of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) or the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds for construction or remodeling needs prior approval from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). MDE has no authority to approve construction or equipment procurement with a unit price of $5,000 or above after the fact. These types of projects are subject to federal construction rules including the Davis-Bacon Act, that states contractors and subs on federal jobs must pay workers at least the local prevailing wage rate.
A: ESSER funds can be used towards hazard pay, staff retention and to maintain operations in so far as you have direct rationale that these expenses directly relate to COVID response. Operational budget cuts that occurred as a result of COVID would likely be the direct link in this case because there is no supplement or supplant restriction clause in the legislation. ESSER funds must be documented with internal controls that this work occurred. This is consistent with guidance on all salary and stipend payments with all federal funds.
A: The use of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) or the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds for construction or remodeling needs prior approval from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). MDE has no authority to approve construction or equipment procurement with a unit price of $5,000 or above after the fact. These types of projects are subject to federal construction rules including the Davis-Bacon Act, that states contractors and subs on federal jobs must pay workers at least the local prevailing wage rate.
A: ESSER funds can be used towards hazard pay, staff retention and to maintain operations in so far as you have direct rationale that these expenses directly relate to COVID response. Operational budget cuts that occurred as a result of COVID would likely be the direct link in this case because there is no supplement or supplant restriction clause in the legislation. ESSER funds must be documented with internal controls that this work occurred. This is consistent with guidance on all salary and stipend payments with all federal funds.
Mora’s answer: We are planning on leaning on our guidance department to help our schools with the SEL piece.
Bemidji’s answer: We will have a supportive team of mental health professionals available to our staff and students. At Gene Dillon, as an example, we have a school counselor, school social worker & school psychologist. We are very fortunate.
