CARES Frequently Asked Questions Page

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

FAQS - Table of Contents

FAQs - Funding

How were district’s ESSER amounts determined?

Consistent with the requirements of the CARES Act, district ESSER awards were determined in proportion to the amount of Title I, Part A funds districts were awarded in Summer 2019. For example, if a district’s Title I, Part A award was 3 percent of the total flow through Title I, Part A funds, their proportion of the ESSER funds is also 3 percent.

Since ESSER funds are based on Title I allocations, does that mean that the funds can only be used for Title I schools and activities?

No. Although the calculation used to determine district grant amounts, districts are not restricted in using these funds for Title I schools only. Rather, districts should use their ESSER funds for the exigent needs of its students, staff and operations due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19. There are 12 allowable uses of the funds, which are described at the CARES Act Funding Categories page.

Will districts have to apply for these funds?

Yes. Districts will be required to complete an application package and submit it to the SC Department of Education for review and approval. The SCDE has endeavored to streamline and simplify the process for the application. Once approved, districts will be issued a Grant Award Notification that must be signed and returned to the SCDE. Districts may then proceed with uploading their budgets into the SCDE Grans Accounting Processing System (GAPS), in the same manner as with other federal programs.

What fund numbers must districts use?

District should use Revenue Code: 4975 and Subfund: 220.

Can expenses already incurred be paid for by the ESSER funds?

Yes, as long as the district completes the necessary work prior to the end of the state fiscal year. Pre-award expenses are any expenses related to, caused by, or impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic on or after March 13, 2020. Districts need to move with urgency in submitting applications before the end of the state fiscal year.

Must charter schools be included in a district’s ESSER spending plan?

It depends. There are no requirements in the CARES Act ESSER funds that any district has to allocate on any school-type basis, related to Title I or anything else. Title I is only relative and applicable to how states and districts’ allocation amounts were determined.

Districts do not have to give an allotment to every school. It’s based on district-determined needs. For example, say a district decides to use its funds to clean and sanitize the schools. They have 5 brick-and-mortar schools and 1 virtual school. Since cleaning would not apply to the virtual school, districts could use its funds for cleaning the 5 brick-and-mortar schools.

Can we charge amounts for indirect costs?

Yes. You can use your full IDC unrestricted rate.

Should state and local educational agencies anticipate monitoring or auditing of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds?

Yes. The U.S. Education Department will monitor the use of ESSER funds, which are also subject to audit requirements under the Single Audit Act and to review by the Government Accountability Office. ED's Office of the Inspector General may audit program implementation, as may any other federal agency, commission, or department in the lawful exercise of its jurisdiction and authority, according to ED's guidance Frequently Asked Questions about the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, 120 LRP 15266 (OESE 05/08/20).

FAQs - Equitable Services

For which private schools are districts responsible in providing equitable services?

Districts are responsible to invite any nonprofit, private school within its geographic jurisdiction to participate in equitable services.

How must a district calculate the amount for equitable services?

The proportionate share is determined by the enrollment of the public school district plus the enrollment of all participating, nonprofit private schools physically located within your geographic boundaries. Specifically, the calculation is:

Determine the enrollment for your public school district (K-12)
Then you need to determine the enrollment of students in any and all participating, nonprofit private school (K-12) within your geographic boundaries
Add those two numbers for a Total Enrollment
Then take your ESSER allocation amount and divide by the Total Enrollment (#3) to get a per-pupil amount
Multiply the per-pupil (#4) amount by the enrollment of each participating nonprofit private school to determine each private school’s proportionate share amount for equitable services
Multiply the per-pupil amount (#4) by the total private schools enrollment (#2) to get the amount you need to budget (that is the total proportionate share for the district).

Example:

District A’s ESSER allocation is $1,000,000.

District A has 900 students in its public schools. District A has two participating nonprofit private schools that have a total enrollment of 100 (50 in one private school; 50 in the other). In total there are 1,000 students. The per-pupil amount is determined by dividing the allocation by the total enrollment. In this example, $1,000,000 divided by 1,000 students equals $1,000 per pupil.

Private enrollment (100) divided by the total enrollment (1,000) equals 10%.
Ten percent of the allocation is $100,000. So District A must set aside $100,000 for equitable services in total.

Looking at the amount per private school, the per-pupil amount ($1,000) multiplied by the enrollment (50 for each school) determines that each private school has $50,000 in available equitable services.

Is July 31 the timeline for private/non-public schools to notify districts about funds? Can we assume if there is no response after several forms of communication, that the private/non-public school is not interested in funds?

Districts need to make made good faith effort to engage all private schools, and have documentation. If a private school declines, or fails to respond to invitations, the district may document that they private school did not respond. Again, it is important for districts to make a good faith effort to invite any applicable nonprofit, private school to a meaningful consultation.

Question: When we meet with the non-public schools for participation in CARES Act funding, does that include Charter Schools, or just private schools?

Private schools – districts must provide equitable services to any and all nonprofit, private schools within the district’s geographic lines that want to participate. Preschool-only programs, as well as for-profit private schools are not included. Only nonprofit, private schools have access to equitable services.
Charter schools under the jurisdiction of the district – charter schools are public schools, not private schools, and if the district is the authorizer, the district is responsible for that charter school with respect to federal programs. Although districts are not required to make school-level allocations with ESSER funds, in determining how funds will be spent districts should not exclude charter schools under their jurisdiction solely because they are charter schools. Districts should proceed as the charter school they authorize is another public school within their jurisdiction when they develop and expend their ESSER funds.
Charter schools authorized by the SC Public Charter School District or Erskine – traditional districts do not have any obligations to these charter schools, since these schools would be handled by the applicable authorizer, both of which are recipients of CARES Act ESSER subgrants.