If you've struggled to understand the enormity of the CARES Act, you're not the only one. There are so many elements to it as it pertains to education alone. Essentially, since the education world was hit hard by the pandemic beginning in 2020, much of the funding is for rebuilding learning environments in both K-12 and higher education. This includes providing improved infrastructure, technology tools, classroom supplies, or anything else. Educators can use these relief funds on countless resources and we'll try to help make (some) sense of it all.
Essentially, government officials passed legislation requiring financial support for education-related projects, initiatives, and resources to come from the state level. What this means is that the government in each state has to provide funds for the schools in that state. CARES Act funds began appearing in 2020 and 2021, allowing state education leaders to determine how to best spend them. Much of those COVID-19 relief funds were for elementary and secondary education with a smaller portion allotted for higher education. And, all state leaders had to provide the same level of support as in the three years preceding the pandemic (2017-19).
As you may be aware, the CARES Act contains provisions for funding a huge amount of programs—within education and within every other entity in the US. The portion of the CARES Act dedicated to education is the Education Stabilization Fund and it has three subsets. The main portion affecting K-12 educators and administrators is the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Commonly known as ESSER funds, national leaders designated this portion to assist in school needs resulting from the pandemic. Then, state educational agency leaders dispersed this money nationwide at the district level.
The differences in CARES Act allocations.
Members of the education community received these funds during three different time periods. The first was in 2020 as part of the CARES Act. The second came in 2021 as a result of a year-end congressionally approved aid package. And, the third came as part of the American Rescue Plan in early 2021. In every school and district, different amounts of funding were provided and based largely on economic need. The important thing, however, is that state and district education leaders can use these funds on a variety of resources, including digital learning tools and educational technology.
As you might guess, that's where we come in. Hopefully, this quick breakdown of CARES Act and ESSER funds for schools helps improve your understanding of each. If you're still confused, don't worry—there's a lot to it and you're not alone. The important thing to remember is that education leaders must spend the initial funds they received in 2020 as part of the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund by Sept. 30, 2022. They also must spend the funds from the initial CARES Act (CARES Act I) by the same date. Of course, that's coming up in a few months and, if you're still sitting on any of that funding and looking to use it on EdTech tools for your school, we can certainly help.
Using CARES money for STEM and SEL.
Many of the STEM solutions on our store are eligible for CARES Act purchases and we're happy to set up a conversation to learn more about your specific situation, monetary resources, and plans for incorporating STEM learning going forward. Like we said, there are many stipulations to CARES funding and we'd love to better understand your specific situation. Also, for clarity, funds received through the American Rescue Plan don't have to be spent until Sept. 30, 2023, so you do still have some time if you're in that position. In any case, our offerings align with CARES Act eligibility and can help bolster school STEM programs following the pandemic as well as provide for enhanced social-emotional learning opportunities.
Hopefully, school and district leaders have been communicative about their intentions for these funds and upfront about procuring new resources. Of course, there are so many levels to learning loss and recovery—in both mainstream and special education classrooms—but we wanted to make sure educators are aware that there are resources available to help recreate STEM and STEAM opportunities that students may have lost as a result of pandemic remote learning. While ESSER funds vary by state, we'd remind you that schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas likely received more for students.
Help with the confusing questions.
As you may already know, a lot of this funding was for Title I schools. Even though it's been doled out around the country in so many school districts, there's still the option to pursue technology grants on top of CARES Act or ESSER money. Also, remember that CARES Act funding comes from your state's government and may take time to hit your district's finances. From there, state and district leaders will determine how to use the funds among the many options, including STEM supplies. More than likely, these will be based on the most important needs of students, the simplicity of integrating new resources, and an analysis of how long these resources will last. So, please feel free to contact us to learn more about how our team and EdTech offerings can help. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for additional updates.