MEMORANDUM
TO: District Superintendents
FROM: Superintendent Elsie Arntzen
RE: ESSER II funds
DATE: January 5, 2021
Just a few hours ago, the U.S. Department of Education announced an additional $170,099,465 in ESSER II funds to Montana. This new funding—more than four times the initial awards to State educational agencies under the CARES Act—is intended to help States and school districts safely reopen schools, measure and effectively address significant learning loss, and take other actions to mitigate the impact of COVID‑19 on the students and families who depend on our K-12 schools. My team is working to identify what this will mean for each LEA in Montana. Thank you for your patience as we provide more information to you in the coming days.
Although the ESSER II uses of funds are similar to those for ESSER, there are important distinctions between the ESSER II and ESSER programs, including the period of funds availability, equitable services to non-public schools, maintenance of effort, and a report on efforts to measure and address learning loss. You should plan to use all remaining ESSER funds before making use of the ESSER II funds, given the shorter remaining period of availability. Please review the attached fact sheet to learn more about the ESSER II program.
I have directed my team to prepare for a webinar that will update you and provide Q&A time. There will be a ZOOM meeting with our education partners at a regularly scheduled time at 9:30 a.m. on January 19, 2021. Each of you will receive the agenda, materials, and an invitation to join this session.
It is a pleasure to support your district with the availability of ESSER II funds as you work with your local board on the priorities for the use of these additional funds. If you have urgent questions, please contact our Chief Financial Officer, Ken Bailey at 406-444-2562.
1.5.21 DOE ESSR Letter.pdf
Final_ESSERII_Factsheet_1.5.21.pdf
Final_ESSERII_Methodology_Table_1.5.21.pdf
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Contact:
Sarah Swanson, 406-444-3160 (office) 406-475-2307(cell)
Chief of Staff
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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