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Laws and Regulations

Federal Stimulus Legislation in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic 

This page contains information on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund and the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund authorized under federal law (the CARES Act of March 2020, the CAA/CRRS Act of December 2020, and the ARP Act of March 2021).*For information on the Emergency Assistance for Nonpublic Schools (EANS) program for private K-12 schools see: https://dpi.wi.gov/crrsaa/eans

*NEW* June 9, 2021: Allocations and reimbursements to Local Education Agencies (LEAs), through June 7, 2021, for the ESSER I, ESSER II, and ESSER III funds authorized under federal stimulus bills, and under the Governors Emergency Education Relief fund (GEER I, authorized under the CARES Act of March 2020). NOTE: this is a read only file; the user must save a copy of the Excel file. 

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ESSER III (American Rescue Plan Act of March 2021)

May 27, 2021: the legislative Joint Committee on Finance met to review DPI’s plan for distribution of ESSER III funds to local education agencies (LEAs) and other educational entities. The Committee modified DPI’s plan for distributing a portion of the ESSER III funds. Under the JCF plan, LEAs with an initial ESSER III grant of less than $781 per pupil would be eligible for additional funds if the LEA provided in-person instruction for at least 50 percent of the 2020-21 school year. Link to the motion passed by the Committee (modifications to DPI’s plan): Motion #57 (May 27, 2021)

Comparison of DPI's ESSER III Plan and Motion #57 Adopted by the JCF (May 27, 2021)

On April 1, 2021, the Department of Public Instruction Plan submitted its plan for ESSER III Funds to the Joint Committee on Finance: 

March 2021: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), enacted on March 11,2021 

ESSER II (the Consolidated Appropriations Act/Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of December 2020)

For more information on the ESSER II Fund (including allocations to LEAs), see: https://www.dpi.wi.gov/crrsaa/esser-ii

On February 10, 2021, the legislative Joint Committee on Finance met to review DPI’s plan for distribution of ESSER II funds to local education agencies (LEAs) and other educational entities. The Committee modified DPI’s plan for distributing a portion (just under 10 percent) of the ESSER II funding, basing LEA allocations of ESSER II set aside funding on each district's share of in-person instruction provided to students. Link to the motion passed by the Committee (modifications to DPI’s plan): JCF Motion #16, 2/10/2021

ESSER II plan as modified by JCF

January 2021: The Department of Public Instruction Plan for ESSER II Funds (January 26, 2021): 

January 2021: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act - CRRSA Act), enacted on December 27, 2020

ESSER and GEER (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of March 2020)

For more information on the ESSER Fund (including allocations to LEAs), see: https://dpi.wi.gov/cares/esser-grants 

For more information on the GEER Fund (including allocations to LEAs), see: https://dpi.wi.gov/cares/governors-emergency-education-relief-geer-grant-program

May 2020: Letter of approval for DPI's ESSER Fund Plan, Joint Committee on Finance (May 13, 2020)

April 2020: Letter to the Joint Committee on Finance seeking approval for DPI's ESSER Fund Plan  (April 24, 2020)

March 2020: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) - Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund

Federal 

Wisconsin 

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