Secretary of Education Letter to Commissioner, ESSER I (April 23, 2020)

Summary

Template letter dated April 23, 2020 from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to a state education commissioner, with the name, state and dollar amount left as placeholders. It announces funds for the state as part of the approximately $13.2 billion Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund authorized under section 18003 of the CARES Act, allocated in the same proportion as the state's Title I, Part A funds in fiscal year 2019. DeVos writes that her department "will not micromanage how you spend these funds" and urges investment in technology and training for remote learning. To apply, a state signs a brief Certification and Agreement and emails it as a PDF; the department says it will obligate funds within 3 business days for drawdown through its G5 system.

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Full text

                                         THE SECRETARY OF
                                            EDUCATION
                                         WASHINGTON, DC 20202




                                           April 23, 2020


Dear [Commissioner] XXXXX:

Thank you for all you are doing to lead your State through this unprecedented national
emergency. You are making important decisions every day to keep your students, families, and
teachers safe, and you are tackling head on the challenges created by COVID-19 in your school
districts and schools. While students and educators are facing significant disruptions and
obstacles, your efforts are critical to ensuring that learning continues for all students.

To support those efforts, today the Department is making available $XX,XXX,XXX for [State],
part of the approximately $13.2 billion allocated to the Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund), authorized under section 18003 of the CARES Act. The
allocation is in the same proportion as the [State] received funds under Part A of Title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act in fiscal year 2019.

The ESSER Fund provides you, and your local educational agencies, with emergency relief
funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and
secondary schools in [State]. My Department will not micromanage how you spend these funds,
but I encourage you during these challenging times to see this unprecedented disruption as an
opportunity to rethink the way students access education. At a time when so many school boards
and superintendents have closed campuses for the balance of the school year, it’s important to
think creatively about new delivery methods and focus on investing in the technology
infrastructure and professional development and training that will help all students continue to
learn through some form of remote learning. Students and their families are depending on your
leadership to ensure that they do not fall behind.

In an effort to get these emergency funds to you as quickly as possible, we have kept the
application process simple; all that is required is the completion of a brief Certification and
Agreement, which can be digitally signed and submitted in PDF to the email address
ESSERF@ed.gov. The Certification and Agreement, including instructions to apply, are on the
Department’s website at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/elementary-
secondary-school-emergency-relief-fund/.

We understand that you and your team might have additional questions. We are posting answers
to frequently asked questions about the ESSER Fund on the Department’s website at the address
listed above.
The enclosed table shows State allocations for the ESSER Fund, as well the Certification and
Agreement required to process your State’s grant. Once you submit the signed PDF, we will
process your Certification and Agreement and obligate your funds within 3 business days. You
will be able to draw down these emergency funds using the Department’s G5 system.

We will announce additional education-related resources available under the CARES Act in the
very near future. We look forward to partnering with you to ensure that learning continues for
all students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you for your continued leadership on behalf of America’s students. I welcome your direct
outreach if you would like to discuss this further.


                                                Sincerely,


                                                Betsy DeVos


Enclosure


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