DOE allocates $33.9M in CARES Act funds to NH schools

CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Education has allocated $33.9 million in federal funding provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to New Hampshire schools.

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund) created under that law provides funds for expenses incurred relative to COVID-19 and remote learning backdated to March 13, 2020, the date of the declaration of emergency. The New Hampshire Department of Education applied for and received $37,641,371 in ESSER grants to help K-12 educational entities prevent, prepare for, and respond to impacts of COVID-19. Under the law, 90 percent of the ESSER formula funds, $33,811,234, must be allocated to school districts and public charter schools proportional to the 2019-2020 school year Title 1 Part A allocation.

“New Hampshire schools have earned nationwide praise for their transition to remote instruction this spring,” said Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut. “But that shift came with significant disruption. The ESSER Fund will help New Hampshire schools meet the needs of each student as we plan for a safe and effective learning environment in the fall.”

The Department of Education has allocated each district’s ESSER grant into the state’s grant management system (GMS). Each school district and public charter school must detail activities undertaken in response to COVID-19 and remote instruction in order to use these funds. Due to the ongoing debate in Washington over the proper allocation of equitable services funding, the Department is asking districts to calculate equitable service funding under both Title 1 Part A  and Title VIII, and to set aside the higher amount until further guidance is available.

For more information, email CARESact@doe.nh.gov