ESSER I

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. As part of the CARES Act, Congress set aside approximately $13.2 billion of the $I30.75 billion allotted to the Education Stabilization Fund for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. The US Department of Education 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 $216,311,158 in ESSER funds from the CARES Act, of which 90 percent ($194,680,042) will flow through to school districts with amounts determined in proportion to the amount of Title I, Part A funds they received in Summer 2019 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.