The State Experienced Fiscal Burdens in Preventing, Preparing for, and Responding to the Coronavirus

Summary

A State's MOE waiver request should include several items, according to this text. It asks for a description of the extent to which the State experienced fiscal burdens in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus and how those burdens affected its ability to maintain fiscal effort, along with documentation and data supporting that description. It says the Secretary may consider factors such as whether the State has increased support for education, with questions on whether total and per-pupil State funding for K-12 and higher education increased from the prior fiscal year and over time. It also asks whether there are exceptional circumstances that caused the State to be unable to maintain support for education.

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Full text

1. A description of the extent to which the State experienced fiscal burdens in preventing, preparing for, and
responding to the coronavirus and an explanation of how those fiscal burdens affected the State’s ability to
maintain fiscal effort (e.g., the status of and any changes to the State’s rainy day fund, whether the State
experienced a decline in revenues, or an increase in other emergency expenses resulting from the
pandemic, such as expenses related to health care, unemployment insurance, or support for small
businesses); and

2. Documentation and data supporting the description of the State’s fiscal burdens (e.g., revenue data, appropriation
tables, unemployment statistics, etc.) including any State action that impacted State revenue (e.g., tax increases or
decreases).

3. In addition, in its waiver request, a State should submit information on the relevant factors listed below to support
its request. The Secretary may ask States for additional information after States submit the MOE waiver request
form.

In determining whether to grant a State an MOE waiver, the Secretary may consider factors such as:
Has the State increased support for education?

The Department understands that it is possible that a State has maintained or increased overall funding for education and the
proportion of the State budget for education has still declined because of increases in other areas of the budget (e.g., public health). In
these cases, the Secretary may consider:

e Has total State funding for K-12 education and for higher education (calculated separately) increased from the prior fiscal year?

e Has total State funding for K-12 education and for higher education (calculated separately) increased over time (e.g., since
baseline years)?

e Has per-pupil State funding for K-12 education and for higher education (calculated separately) increased from the prior fiscal
year?

e Has per-pupil State funding for K-12 education and for higher education (calculated separately) increased over time (e.g., since
baseline years)?

e Has the State appropriated an increase in State funding for K-12 education and for higher education for future fiscal years?
Are there exceptional circumstances that caused the State to be unable to maintain support for education?
If a State’s support for education declined, the Secretary may consider:

e §©6Are there specific severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the State’s economy that necessitated reductions in support for
elementary and secondary education and for higher education?

e What steps did the State take to avoid and/or minimize such reductions?

e Did the State use Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under
section 9901 of the ARP Act to support elementary and secondary education and higher education?

e How did reductions in support for elementary and secondary education and for higher education compare to other budget
categories?

e Did the State take steps that reduced or will it take steps to proactively reduce its financial resources in a way that impacted or
will impact its ability to meet MOE requirements (e.g., tax changes (and in what context), additional contributions to rainy day
funds)? If so, what was the impact of the reduction (e.g., to what extent were its resources reduced or will its resources be
reduced)?

Has the State used or will it use ESSER, GEER, or Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) funding to replace State
funding for education?

It is important for the Department to understand the State’s use of pandemic-related Federal funds when reviewing a request for a
waiver. The Secretary may therefore consider:

e §=©Will all unallocated ESSER or GEER funds relevant to the waiver be used to provide net new resources to K-12 schools and to
higher education and not be used to replace existing State commitments to K-12 education and to higher education?

e =Will all unallocated HEER funds be used to provide net new resources to higher education and not be used to replace existing
State commitments to higher education?

e Has the State previously used any ESSER, GEER, or HEER funds to replace State funding for education?

To the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information in this MOE data submission are true and correct and the
failure to submit accurate data may result in liability under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq.; OMB
Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted
and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485; and 18 USC § 1001, as appropriate, and other
enforcement actions.

Joseph M. Habig, Deputy Budget Director 317-232-5611
Governor or Chief State School Officer or Authorized Representative (Typed or Printed Name) Telephone
REDACTED (b) (6) March 14, 2024
Signature of Governor or Chief State School Officer or Authorized Representative Date

Public Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays
a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1810-0745. Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average 2 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection
is required to obtain or retain benefit under section 18008 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act, Division M,
Section 317 of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA) Act, and Section 2004(a) of the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act) If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this
individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact Britt
Jung, Office of State and Grantee Relations, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW, Washington, DC 20202-6450, email: SGR@ed.gov directly.

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