Schools may use ESSER and GEER funds to transport students to and from school as long as the need “is related to COVID-19” and provided the cost is “reasonable and necessary” the funds can also be used to drive students to and from after-school enrichment and education activities. The money from the ARP was specifically designed to “help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Nation’s students.” The Department of Education clarified that many costs associated with school transportation can be covered by Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds.īillions of dollars have been released to state and local agencies for the purpose of addressing “the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools across the Nation.” ESSER grants went to state educational agencies for distribution, while GEER grants were awarded to governors’ offices.Ĭongress first allocated $13.2 billion in ESSER grants from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act last March another $54.3 billion was allocated to ESSER II funds under the December Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA), with a subsequent $122 billion from this year’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) towards ARP ESSER grants. The document, which is not legally binding, aims to “provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies,” the department said in a document published Friday. Friday’s release adds on to the previous guidance from May 2021, and while not legally binding, aims to “provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies". Schools can use the funds for “retention bonuses for current bus drivers, for salary increases, or for the cost of hiring additional bus drivers to address the shortage of bus drivers due to the pandemic".
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