Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) was established as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020.  CARES provided direct funding to states and districts to address the impact COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools across the nation. Perkiomen Valley sought input from various stakeholders to determine needs and recommend usage of the funds. Below please find information on each fund (ESSER, ESSERII, ARP ESSER III, and ARP ESSER Set Asides) as well as details on PVSD allocations.  

For more information about ESSER, visit the following resources:

ESSER ~ School Board approved allocations on 7/13/2020

The Pennsylvania Department of Education submitted its Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund application to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to obtain $523.8 million in emergency, one-time funds to help schools respond to COVID-19 impacts.  Initial funds allocated to Perkiomen Valley are included below.

ESSER Allocation

$227,263

Non-Public School Allocation

$1,900

Technology (Webcams, Monitors)

$202,433

Consultants

$10,225

Employee Assistance Program (20/21)

$12,705

ESSER II ~ School Board approved allocations on 4/12/2021

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA Act) was enacted December 27, 2020 and included an additional $53.4 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II Fund).

ESSER II Fund awards were awarded to states based on the proportion of funding each state received under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, in fiscal year 2020. Pennsylvania’s ESSER II allocation is $2.22 billion.

Pursuant to Sec. 313 of the CRRSA Act, the Pennsylvania Department of Education granted ESSER II Fund awards to school districts and charters schools based on their proportionate share of the Title I-A (FY 2020) formula.

ESSER II Allocation

$885,735

Chromebooks

$375,703

2021 Summer Programming

(K-8 LIFT Enrichment & Remediation,
HS Credit Recovery, Community Education, 
Salary & Benefits, Transportation, Third Party
Contracts, Materials & Resources)

$327,905

Interactive Panels

$182,127

ARP ESSER III ~ School Board approved allocations on 8/9/21

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided Pennsylvania with $5 billion in emergency funding to support the long-term work of education recovery.

Under the ARP, at least 90 percent, or $4.5 billion, of the fund flowed to eligible public school districts and charter schools, with each entity receiving an amount proportional to the federal Title I-A funds received in 2020 under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

ARP ESSER III Allocation

$1,790,312

Learning Loss 

(20% Requirement)

$360,000

Social & Emotional Health & Wellness

$664,000

Curriculum Resources

$390,000

Classroom Resources

$376,000

ARP ESSER Set Asides 

Act 24 allocated $250 million in additional funding to school districts and charter schools to address learning loss, $50 million to school districts and charter schools for summer enrichment programs, and $50 million to school districts and charter schools for afterschool programs and activities.  Recommended allocations were presented to the School Board on December 6, 2021 and continue to be reviewed.  The chart below indicates the PV allocations.  Actual recommendations continue to be developed.

ARP ESSER 5% Set-aside Allocations
for Learning Loss Allocations

$99,462

TOTAL Allocation

Minimum
Allocation
for Student
Social, Emotional, Mental Health
Support (30%)

Minimum Allocation
for Reading Support and Improvement
(8%)

Remaining Funds
for Other Learning Loss Uses

$99,462

$29,839

$7,957

$51,720

ARP ESSER 1% Summer Enrichment Allocations

$19,892

ARP ESSER 1% Afterschool Program Allocations

$19,892