On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law. The US Department of Education is providing an additional $121.9 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER III Fund). This legislation will award these grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) for the purpose of providing local educational agencies (LEAs) with emergency relief funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools across the nation.
South Carolina will receive $2,112,051,487 in ESSER III funds from the Act, of which 90 percent will flow through to school districts with amounts determined in proportion to the amount of Title I, Part A funds they received in Summer 2020 from funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The remaining funds will be used for state-level activities to address issues caused by COVID-19. ESSER III funds also include some additional requirements on the part of the LEAs and the SEAs, please see below for more detailed information.
As part of a two-phase process to receive ESSER III funds, districts must draft a “Safe Return to In-Person Instructional and Continuity of Services Plan” for the 2021-2022 school year and seek input on this plan from all stakeholders. The second phase of the process includes seeking input on a plan to use ESSER III funds over the next few years.
The South Carolina Public Charter School District (SCPCSD) has compiled plans from each school and asks that you review the “Safe Return to In-Person Instructional and Continuity of Services Plan” for each school by clicking on the link below. After reviewing the plan(s), please share feedback by completing the survey below. The survey will help inform the final “Safe Return to In-Person Instructional and Continuity of Services Plan.”
Return to In-Person Plans by Schools (excel file)
Return to In-Person Plan Feedback Form
The SCPCSD has developed this website to provide information, guidance, and resources to school district personnel and stakeholders with respect to ESSER III funds under the ARP Act. It will be updated as often as new information, guidance, and resources becomes available. Please note that ESSER III funds are entirely separate from ESSER I and ESSER II funds issued through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) respectively.