ESSER Fund Information
- ESSER Funds Information
- D5 ESSER I Funds
- D5 ESSER II Funds
- D5 ESSER III Funds
- SCDE General ESSER Information
- ARP ESSER Plan
ESSER Funds Information
Between 2020 and March 2021, Congress passed three stimulus bills providing nearly $190.5 billion to the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Education Relief (ESSER) Fund. These funds are aimed at addressing the impact that COVID-19 has had on elementary and secondary schools nationwide.
States receive funds based on the same proportion that each state receives under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title-IA. School districts in South Carolina will receive a portion of the funds based on the number of Title I students, or students in poverty, they have.
This webpage will be updated as information becomes available.
ESSER FUNDS INFORMATION*
ESSER I
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. As part of the CARES Act, Congress set aside approximately $13.2 billion of the $30.75 billion allotted to the Education Stabilization Fund for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund.
The US Department of Education awarded these grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) for the purpose of providing local educational agencies (LEAs) with emergency relief funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools across the nation.
- South Carolina received $216,311,158 in ESSER funds from the CARES Act, of which 90 percent ($194,680,042) will flow through to school districts with amounts determined in proportion to the amount of Title I, Part A funds they received in Summer 2019 from funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The remaining funds will be used for state-level activities to address issues caused by COVID-19.
- Lexington-Richland School District Five received $1,629,882.
ESSER II
On December 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) was signed into law. The US Department of Education is providing an additional $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II Fund).
- South Carolina will receive $940,420,782 in ESSER II funds from the Act, of which 90 percent ($846,378,704) will flow through to school districts with amounts determined in proportion to the amount of Title I, Part A funds they received in Summer 2020 from funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The remaining funds ($94,042,078) will be used for state-level activities to address issues caused by COVID-19.
- Lexington-Richland School District Five will receive $6,679,819. Click here to view a April 26, 2021 report to the school board on ESSER Funds, including details on ESSER II spending allocations.
ESSER III
South Carolina schools will get additional federal coronavirus relief funds from the $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package signed into law in March. This is the third round of funding schools across the country will receive from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief program.
School districts in South Carolina will receive a portion of the funds based on the number of Title I students, or students in poverty, they have. More information about ESSER III Funds is forthcoming.
*This information is from the SC Department of Education website