Federal Education Update - NOELLE ELLERSON NG APRIL 2021
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Federal Education Update NOELLE ELLERSON NG AASA A P R I L 2 0 21
One Year of COVID Relief COVID 1: H.R. 6074, Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (3/6/20) Small in scope and focus; targeted on bolstering capacity to respond to the COVID-19 health emergency. COVID 2: H.R. 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) (3/18/20) Includes funding adjacent to education: critical flexibility for school nutrition programs and mandate for sick paid/family leave. COVID 3: H.R. 748, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) (3/27/20) First bill to include dedicated funding for K-12 education ($13b). COVID 3.5/4: H.R. 266, Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (4/24/20) Series of technical changes, along with money for testing, hospitals and PPP. COVID 5: H.R. 133 Consolidated Appropriations Act / Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CAA/CRRSA/CARES II) (12/27/20) Massive FY21 spending and COVID-relief package. Months in the making.
The American Rescue Plan: Funding for districts: $110 billion How does this compare to other COVID aid/federal money? Annual fed Title/IDEA funds per pupil = +640/student + March CARES = +270/student + Dec. CCRSA/CARES II = +1,100/student + ARP = +2,400/student For comparison, ARP is 10x CARES or 2 x CCRSA/CARES II
LEAs have until 2024 to obligate newest
federal funds:
$123B ARP ESSER III. LEAs must obligate by 9/ 2024 ~ $2400 /pupil
20% must be
used for
$54B CRSSA ESSER II. SEAs must obligate by 9/ 2023. ~ $1,100 /pupil learning loss
Broadly flexible.
DoED:
$13B CARES ESSER I. LEAs must obligate by 9/2022 expenses must
~250pp relate to COVID.
School SY 19-20 SY 20-21 SY 21-22 SY 22-23 SY 23-24 SY 24-25
&
Calenda Calendar 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
r Year
Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan
Mar
*Image adapted fromLab,
©2018Edunomics White Board Advisors
Georgetown University ©2021 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown UniversityUse/Distribution of Funding Ninety percent of funding will be distributed to districts based on their relative share of Title I, Part A funding. (not a fan favorite) The funding can be spent flexibly like the December package. This includes expenditures related to: ◦ Inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities, ◦ School facility repairs and improvements to enable operation of schools to reduce risk of virus transmission ◦ Addressing learning loss ◦ Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning ◦ Providing mental health services and supports, including through community schools ◦ Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, and connectivity ◦ Providing meals to students during school closures ◦ Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean buildings ◦ And more
Learning Recovery Set-Aside Details Evidence based: USED interpretation of this term will be critical to how flexibly you can/will be able to have your expenditures/interventions meet the ‘learning recovery’ requirement Interventions must also “respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs and address the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on the student subgroups, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care.” Can you only spend 20% on learning recovery? NO! You can spend all of it on learning recovery if you wanted to.
And brand NEW is: Maintenance of EQUITY
Does Maintenance
of Equity apply to This means
Huh?
LEAs?
districts will
SEAs cannot (for FY 22 and Yes!* for FY 22 and 23, want to keep
23): LEAs cannot cut per-pupil
track of
$ or per-pupil staff FTEs at
• Cut per-pupil $ to high- most economically- spending by
need LEAs at a steeper disadvantaged quartile of school
rate than other LEAs
• Reduce state per-pupil $
schools at
for highest-poverty LEAs disproportionately high
below 2019 levels rates
*Does not apply to LEAs with 1)Additional Set Asides 800 million set-aside for McKinney Vento. This translates to an increase of 8x McKinney Vento funding. 2.5 billion for IDEA. This is an increase of 20% in IDEA funding when compared to annual appropriations. ◦ Be careful! This is one-time funding. Beware of running into MOE issues. And….2.75 billion in funding for non-public schools.
NEW! LEA plan requirements On Wednesday, ED released “interim final requirements” that must be met in order to receive the final tranche of ARP funds. LEAs will have to have 2 plans: 1) use of funds plan and 2) safe reopening plan. Use of funds plan: ◦ How $ used for mitigation/prevention strategies in line with CDC guidance ◦ Describe use of $ for learning recovery and for everything else ◦ Meaningful consultation requirements (intense!) ◦ Must be uniform; translatable
Safe return to learning and
continuity of services plan
Review/revise at a minimum every 6 months w/consideration of latest CDC guidance
This plan will describe how the LEA will ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address
students’ academic needs and students’ and staff social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include
student health and food services.
This plan must describe how district will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the
extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policies, on each of the following safety
recommendations established by the CDC:
• Universal and correct wearing of masks.
• Modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing (e.g., use of cohorts/podding).
• Handwashing and respiratory etiquette.
• Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation.
• Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or
Tribal health departments.
• Diagnostic and screening testing.
• Efforts to provide vaccinations to school communities.
• Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policiesTricky balance:
Step 1: Make a
spending plan.
VS How about…?
Spend NOW PACE
to address spending to 40% SY21-22
learning loss avert a fiscal 30% SY22-23
cliff
20% SY23-24
10% SY24-25
©2018Edunomics
©2021 EdunomicsLab,
Lab,Georgetown
GeorgetownUniversity
UniversityStep 2: Beware of adding recurring costs!
Instead of recurring expenses: Consider one-time expenses:
• New hires (e.g. nurses, counselors, üStipends (e.g. for tutoring,
VP, teachers, tutors) summer school
• Base pay raises: Across-the-board % üContractors (e.g. nurses, tutors)
raises, COLAs üOne-time hazard pay
• Increased benefits üFacility upgrades
• Permanent calendar changes üOne-time summer school
• Changes to class sizes ü Temporarily added weeks of
school
©2018Edunomics
©2021 EdunomicsLab,
Lab,Georgetown
GeorgetownUniversity
UniversityESSER funds for Budgetary Shortfalls •According to ED, “ESSER funds may be used to bridge budget shortfalls if the deficit is related to the coronavirus and the ESSER funds are needed for education-related expenses.” (ESSER II Q&A Follow Up from CCSSO Call) •A few things to keep in mind: o ED’s response assumes (1) a decline in revenue that (2) is related to COVID. o ESSER has state-level MOE provisions that constrain state funding cuts. o ESSER III has new MOEquity rules. o Other federal programs have MOE provisions that constrain state and local funding cuts.
Funding for Homework Gap ◦ ARP includes just over $7 billion to help schools address homework gap ◦ Designed to support remote and in-school access for both staff and students ◦ Will allow LEAs to buy devices and more to help close homework gap ◦ Implementation is expected to closely mirror the E-Rate program
ARP And Other Child Supports Child Care ◦ Childcare Development Block Grant ($15 b) ◦ Child Care Stabilization ($23.9 b) ◦ Head Start ($1 b) State and Local Fiscal Relief ($362 b) Increases child tax credit Provides $1,400 stimulus checks to adults/child dependents
Other news re Biden Admin Extension on all meal waivers until June 2022! ◦ There are 12 waivers extended in total, which include the non-congregate feeding, meal flexibility, parent guardian pick up, area eligibility, sodium, whole-grain, flavored milk, and vegetable waivers/flexibilities. No longer enforcing public charge regulation Expected action to repeal the Title IX regulation in next 3 months Expected DOE action on discipline guidance, transgender student/athlete guidance Accountability waivers available; assessment conversations between States and ED still on- going
FY22 Funding
“The President Proposes and Congress Disposes”– not so much this year?
Biden asks for a $29.8 billion increase over the regular FY 2021 level
o 36.5 billion for Title I – This is a $20 billion (41%) increase over the 2021 level, and more than doubles funding
for the largest K-12 education program.
o 15.5 billion for IDEA Part B state grants – The budget increases IDEA state grant funding by $2.6 billion (20%),
which leaves the program far below the “full-funding” level of about $39 billion but would be a large down
payment toward the full-funding goal. The budget also increases the Infant and Toddler Part C program by $250
million (52%).
o 443 million for Full Service Community Schools – The budget provides a $413 million (1377% - yes, that is
correct!) increase for this $30 million program that provides wraparound services to students and their families.
o $100 million for a new diverse schools program – The budget funds a new grant program to help communities
create schools with more diverse student bodies rather than ones that often are de facto segregated by race and
family income.
o 1 billion for mental health services – Not clear whether it’s going through Title IV-A program
3 billion to IDEA- level funding for FY21COVID Handbooks I & II are out COVID I handbook was a compliment to updated CDC guidance COVID II handbook provides strategies and considerations for meeting the needs of underserved students. The sections include: • Providing school meals regardless of educational setting. • Meeting the social, emotional, and mental-health needs of students. • Providing all students with access to a safe and inclusive learning environment. • Accelerating learning through in-classroom instructional approaches, tutoring, and expanded learning time. • Supporting equitable access and effective use of technology for teaching and learning. • Using data about students' opportunities to learn to help target resources and support. • Addressing resource inequities. • Stabilizing a diverse and qualified educator workforce. • Supporting educator and staff well-being.
What’s next on Capitol Hill? The Build Back Better Plan Infrastructure! Part I: Physical Part II: Human
“American Jobs Plan” •$50 billion in formula funds to states for local competitive grants for school repair, renovation, and construction. States will focus assistance on communities with the greatest financial need, encourage green construction practices. •Provides $50 billion for qualified school infrastructure bonds (QSIBs) •$45 billion for federal investments to eliminate all lead in water •$100 billion to build high-speed broadband infrastructure. •12 billion for community colleges •$25 billion for states to upgrade and increase the supply of childcare facilities •$48 billion to support registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships
“American Families Plan ” Part II would include funding universal prekindergarten (3 and 4 year olds) and free community college tuition. The package also would dramatically expand spending on child care, and extend for several years the expansion of the child tax credit recently signed into law for just one year as part of the stimulus plan as well as a national paid leave requirement.
SAVE THE DATE!
The Advocacy Conference
will be held in-person.
July 13-15th in D.C.
Sign up today!
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-NDQuestions?
Noelle Ellerson Ng
nellerson@aasa.org
@Noellerson
Sasha Pudelski
spudelski@aasa.org
@Spudelski
Chris Rogers
crogers@aasa.org
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