New Jersey Department of Education ESSER I/ESSER II Funds Frequently Asked Questions Last Updated June 2021 Purpose The purpose of this document is to provide school and district leaders, grant administrators and school business officials with answers to Frequently Asked Questions related to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund I and II (ESSER I and ESSER II). This information is intended to support the effective use of the ESSER funds and ensure that Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are meeting all statutory and regulatory requirements related to the funds. Project Period 1. What is the period of funds availability for the ESSER Funds? Period of Funds Availability (This excludes the 12 month Tydings Amendment Period) ESSER I Fund (CARES Act) ESSER II (CRRSA Act) May be used for pre-award costs dating back to March 13, 2020, when the national emergency was declared. Available for obligation from May 11, 2020 through September 30, 2021. May be used for pre-award costs dating back to March 13, 2020, when the national emergency was declared. Available for obligation from March 15, 2021 through September 30, 2022. Allowable Uses The CARES Act (ESSER I) enumerates allowable uses of funds related to preventing, preparing for, and responding to COVID-19. While the CRRSA legislation (ESSER II) contains three additional allowable uses, USED has stated that these uses would be allowable under CARES as well. 1. Do the Title I, Part A rules govern which students can be served with ESSER funds? The Title I, Part A rules do not apply to the ESSER funds. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) should make decisions regarding the use of ESSER funds based on the allowable uses, the intent of the legislation and necessary, reasonable and allocable considerations. Last Updated: June 2021 Page 1 of 10
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New Jersey Department of Education
ESSER I/ESSER II Funds Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated June 2021
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to provide school and district leaders, grant administrators and school
business officials with answers to Frequently Asked Questions related to the Elementary and Secondary
School Emergency Relief Fund I and II (ESSER I and ESSER II). This information is intended to support the
effective use of the ESSER funds and ensure that Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are meeting all
statutory and regulatory requirements related to the funds.
Project Period
1. What is the period of funds availability for the ESSER Funds?
Period of Funds Availability (This excludes the 12 month Tydings Amendment Period)
ESSER I Fund (CARES Act) ESSER II (CRRSA Act)
May be used for pre-award costs dating back to March 13, 2020, when the national emergency was declared.
Available for obligation from May 11, 2020 through September 30, 2021.
May be used for pre-award costs dating back to March 13, 2020, when the national emergency was declared.
Available for obligation from March 15, 2021 through September 30, 2022.
Allowable Uses
The CARES Act (ESSER I) enumerates allowable uses of funds related to preventing, preparing for, and
responding to COVID-19. While the CRRSA legislation (ESSER II) contains three additional allowable uses,
USED has stated that these uses would be allowable under CARES as well.
1. Do the Title I, Part A rules govern which students can be served with ESSER funds?
The Title I, Part A rules do not apply to the ESSER funds. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) should
make decisions regarding the use of ESSER funds based on the allowable uses, the intent of the
legislation and necessary, reasonable and allocable considerations.
4. May ESSER funds be used to hire additional staff to provide services to students or to provide
stipends to staff for additional work?
ESSER funds may be used to hire additional staff or to pay staff to provide services consistent with
the allowable uses detailed in the grant. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are reminded to consider
the project period for each of the ESSER grants when budgeting salaries.
5. Can a district use funds from the main ESSER II allocation to support the activities of the learning
acceleration and mental health grants?
Yes. Districts may combine ESSER II funds to support the activities outlined in their application as
long as the activities meet the criteria for allowable use(s) and the funds are used as required for
each grant (e.g., 10% of the mental health grant must be allocated for professional development).
Below is a fictional scenario of how a district may combine ESSER II funds to support a summer
learning academy.
ESSER II Allocation: $100,000
Mental Health Allocation $45,000
Learning Acceleration Allocation:
$50,000
Use $50,000 of ESSER II to:
• Purchase supplies to sanitize and clean the facilities of school buildings for summer program
• Install materials in classrooms to ensure social distancing
• Fund building services staff position to perform weekly deep cleaning
Use $25,000 of ESSER II and $45,000 of MH to:
• Contract with specialist to provide art therapy to students
• Contract with mental health provider to facilitate individual and group therapeutic services to identified students
• Provide professional development (PD) to educators to identify students exhibiting signs of depression or suicidality
Use $25,000 of ESSER II and $55,000 of LA to:
• Use 75% of LA allocation for student academic enrichment: provide small group instruction for STEM (75%) and ELA and/or the arts (25%)
• Use 25% of LA allocation for supporting the learning ecosystem via PD in accelerate learning for teachers and seminar on the district's tiered supports
• Use ESSER II funds to bolster or extend any intervention above
Last Updated: June 2021 Page 3 of 10
6. If a district has issued non-renewals to staff due to COVID-19, may the district use ESSER funding
to supplement the district’s payroll?
Yes. ESSER funds may be used to supplement the district’s payroll.
7. Would anything prohibit a school district from applying the ESSER funds towards special
education out-of-district tuition costs, which is what IDEA funds are typically allocated towards?
No. There is no prohibition on using the ESSER funds for out-of-district tuition for students with
disabilities, as this is an allowable use of funds under the IDEA.
8. Are purchases of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) allowable under the ESSER grant? Are
districts allowed to contract with a vendor and/or service provider to clean and sanitize school
buildings?
Yes. Purchases of PPE are allowable uses of ESSER Funds and districts may contract with outside
vendors for cleaning services.
Grant Application Process
1. Will districts be permitted to submit amendments to the initial application?
Yes. A district may submit an amendment to its originally approved ESSER Application.
2. How does a district access the ESSER Application in the EWEG system?
The district can access the application through the EWEG system. Please see the following links with
instructions on how to navigate the EWEG system.
• Tips for Using the NJDOE EWEG System
• Information on Payments Through EWG
• Office of Grants Management: General Federal Entitlement Grant Guidance
3. I have completed the application and there are GAAP line item codes (function) for the grant, so
can I enter the appropriation into the accounting software?
Please refer to this Quick Reference of Commonly Requested Costs and the Navigating the Uniform
Grant Guidance for New Jersey School Districts for GAAP guidance.