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American Rescue Plan Information

Congress set aside approximately $13.2 billion of the $30.75 billion allotted to the Education Stabilization Fund through the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security Act for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Signed into law on March 20, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education awarded these grants ­to state educational agencies for the purpose of providing local educational agencies, including charter schools that are 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.

American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds are provided to state educational agencies and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation's students.

The focus is to help schools return safely to in-person instruction, maximize in-person instruction time, sustain the safe operations of schools, and address the academic, social, emotional, and mental health impact of COVID-19.

The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has established three areas of planning for use of funds:

  1. Creating Safe and Healthy Learning Environments

  2. Addressing Lost Instructional Time or Loss of Learning

  3. Supporting Educator and Staff Stability and Well-Being

Frequently Asked Questions about the ESSER Fund: FAQ document from the U.S. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education that aims to answer questions that are not easily understood from a plain reading of Section 18003 and other parts of the CARES Act or the ESSER Fund Certification and Agreement. It was developed in direct response to questions that the U.S. Department of Education has received from SEA and LEA grant administrators implementing the ESSER Fund program. If you have questions that are not answered in this document, please email ESSERF@ed.gov.