Emergency & Secondary School Emergency Fund (ESSER)
In response to the global pandemic, the U.S. government passed emergency legislation, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act 2020) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP Act 2021). ESSER provides critical financial assistance to educational institutions nationwide.
These legislative measures allocated substantial relief funds to schools to address the many challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic – predominately learning-loss experienced during periods of shutdown; technology to ensure our scholars can continue their education remotely; and mental health services to support the well being of all scholars and staff.
View the ESSER timeline of these Acts and the corresponding grants that were issued for schools.
Grants
GRPS received a variety of different funding as a direct result of the COVID pandemic.
ESSER Formula (I): 2020-2021
Michigan Department of Education (MDE) allocated funds received under the federal CARES Acts to school districts. GRPS received $7,990,554 in total of which $7,519,111 was for district spending on special education, translations services, PPE, cleaning supplies, technology devices, software, Wifi connectivity, custodial, security and MIS costs.
The GRPS allocation was fully expensed – there was a small amount of the private school allocation that was not expensed.
ESSER II Funds – 2021-2023
MDE allocated funds to school districts under the ARP Act. GRPS received an allocation of $32,921,552.
A preliminary budget was created in July 2021 and presented to the Board of Education (BOE) and the general public for comment at the July 19th, 2021 Board Meeting.
ESSER II grant was closed on September 30, 2023. View the Final Expenditure report by category.
ESSER III Formula – 2021-2024 ongoing
MDE allocated funds to school districts under the ARP Act. GRPS received an allocation of $73,989,706.
In collaboration with management and staff, and in response to community input, we developed a Plan of Use Narrative (2021) that provided a budget allocation for ESSER III funds in accordance with Federal Guidelines. Our original Investment Plan has been revised throughout the course of the grant period in conjunction with input from district stakeholders, community members, management, and staff on an ongoing basis to provide the best support for all GRPS scholars, especially those at-risk students.
The current budget vs spending on ESSER III is 55% complete at December 31, 2023.
SOURCE: Michigan Department of Education: MDE COVID-19 Spend Dashboard
Return to Learning
GRPS is dedicated to fostering transparency and accountability and since 2022 has been following a Return to Learn and Continuity of Services (2022-2024) plan to provide for a safe return to school and learning environment that follows Federal CDC and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) guidelines. This plan was initially presented to the Board on October 17th, 2022.
The district will comply with any and all local, state, and federal mandates/orders. Presently we are in a LOW-risk environment with 100% face-to-face instruction. We continue to monitor the environment and update this plan as required.
Reports
- ESSER II and ESSER III preliminary budget – July 19, 2021
- Covid Funding Update – September 12, 2022
- School Finance 101 – January 30, 2023
- Covid Funding Update – March 20, 2023
- ESSER II & ESSER III Update - June 26, 2023 Finance
- Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan
LEA Plan of Use
- LEA Plan of Use - September 16, 2021
- LEA Plan of Use - December 2021
- LEA Plan of Use - May 31, 2023
- LEA Plan of Use - February 21, 2024
