(ESSER) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief
Thank you to everyone involved in submitting the ESSER Annual Report Year 3 files by April 14th. We truly appreciate your support. We are currently validating the data submitted and may contact you for minor clarifications. We had 97% completion on time and really appreciated your help in this process!
The ESSER Data Collection/Annual Report Process for schools took place in April 2023. The process included:
- District input data (excel), and
- District portal submission of Excel file (google form).
Thank you to all our Montana districts for your focused efforts in this ESSER grant compliance.
Looking Ahead:
ESSER Grant Compliance and Grant Management:
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Final Expenditure Report (FER) due at end of each grant cycle
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Deadlines for ESSER II
- Amendments due by July 1, 2023
- Cash Requests due by September 25, 2023
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Deadlines for ESSER III
- Amendments due by July 1, 2024
- Cash Requests due by September 25, 2024
Currently, there will be no extensions for the ESSER II or ESSER III grants. The OPI ESSER Team encourages your district to review all budget descriptions and allocated amounts in E-Grants, to determine whether any changes are needed.
May's Virtual ESSER Guidance Sessions will take place on May 15th - 19th. The focus of these sessions will be Transition Planning (ESSER-related staff leaving or onboarding and recruitment/retention) and Closing Out the ESSER II grant. 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.
OPI Review Process: OPI is assisting LEAs in mitigating risks to avoid audit findings by reviewing requests for funding and providing assistance with compliance. Projects/items over the threshold purchased with ESSER funds must meet Federal and State capital asset requirements and Grant allowable/reasonable guidelines. Board approval and OPI review assist in meeting these compliances. OPI Guidance is available on the ESSER Website here. Contact Wendi Fawns, ESSER Director for assistance (wendi.fawns@mt.gov)
Additional Allocations: Some allocations have been updated in E-Grants for ESSER II and III. (More information can be found here). Schools must create an E-Grants Amendment in ESSER II and ESSER III so that the updated allocation will populate in the corresponding E-Grants budget pages.
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:
Looking Back and Viewing Updates:
The thermometer image showing Montana ESSER/EANS spend-down can be viewed on the OPI ESSER webpage. Let’s keep up the great work as we finish out ESSER CRRSA II and ESSER ARP III!
District Monthly Status Reports view of allocated and expended funds can be found on the OPI ESSER webpage here.
The Broadband Modernization project information can be found here: https://opi.mt.gov/COVID-19-Information/ESSER/Broadband
Thank you to the Department of Education for releasing an Updated FAQs Guidance Document which is posted on the OPI ESSER Webpage.
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.
For further information please contact:
Wendi Fawns, ESSER/EANS Director at wendi.fawns@mt.gov
Rebecca Brown, ESSER Program Manager at rebecca.brown@mt.gov
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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