ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief)
Looking Ahead:
On January 3rd, 2023, OPI will host a virtual discussion on the investment in Montana education of the ESSER funds. The session will be from 11:45 am – 12:45 pm. You can join the session virtually via this Zoom link.
Topics will include:
- Overview from the Federal Department of Education
- Testimony from key Montana educational leaders
ESSER Grant Compliance:
The ESSER CRRSA II funding cycle closes on September 30, 2023. You have about 9 months to spend down this grant. Cash Requests should be submitted no later than September 25, 2023. The Final Expenditure Report (FER) should be submitted no later than October 25, 2023.
The ESSER ARP III funding cycle closes on September 30, 2024. You have about 21 months to spend down this grant. Cash Requests should be submitted no later than September 25, 2024. The Final Expenditure Report (FER) should be submitted no later than October 25, 2024.
January’s Virtual ESSER Guidance Sessions will take place during the week of January 16-20.
All sessions will be recorded and posted on the OPI ESSER Webpage. More information and updates will be sent out as we get closer to those sessions.
The Afterschool and Summer Enrichment grants for School Year 2022-23 will be reopening under the updated name ESSER Consolidated Special ELO. These grants will focus on Math and Reading programming efforts, combined with best practices promoting Social/Emotional Learning. To help prepare for these grants, we encourage applicants to actively explore local partnerships to best leverage these funds and improve student outcomes. View our site HERE for more information.
We want your feedback! Please fill out this short Google Form to tell us what YOU want to see in our monthly Compass communication. It takes just a minute, and we appreciate your input!
Many resources are available on the OPI ESSER webpage including but not limited to:
The Broadband Modernization website will be updated by January 1st with big changes and more detailed information. The funding available to Montana is significant. Check it out here: https://opi.mt.gov/COVID-19-Information/ESSER/Broadband
OPI is committed to a system of support for school districts, students, and parents throughout Montana that provides an array of services. Individual district consultation on ESSER funding is available upon request. Please reach out to Wendi Fawns at wendi.fawns@mt.gov to schedule a time for your district.
Looking Back:
The ESSER CARES I funding cycle closed on September 30, 2022.
THANK YOU to all of the schools who spent down the ESSER I grant. We’ve seen ESSER funds used to support students in so many ways – from ventilation and sanitation to student technology access, and beyond.
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The thermometer image to the right shows how effective Montana schools have been at spending down the ESSER funds. (This visual is updated on a monthly basis and can be found on the OPI ESSER webpage.)
Let’s keep up the great work as we finish out ESSER CRRSA II and ESSER ARP III!
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District Monthly Status Reports view of allocated and expended funds can be found on the OPI ESSER webpage here.
Thank you to the Department of Education for releasing an Updated FAQs Guidance Document which is posted on the OPI ESSER Webpage.
THANK YOU to all who registered and attended the December ESSER Virtual Guidance Sessions during the week of December 12-16! Videos and slides from all past guidance sessions are posted on the OPI ESSER Webpage and YouTube channel.
Questions? Contact:
Wendi Fawns, ESSER/EANS Director at wendi.fawns@mt.gov
Rebecca Brown, ESSER Program Manager at rebecca.brown@mt.gov
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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