CFDA#
84.425C
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Funder Type
State Government
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IT Classification
B - Readily funds technology as part of an award
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Authority
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Summary
This emergency block grant empowers Governors to decide how best to meet the current needs of students, schools (including charter schools and non-public schools), postsecondary institutions, and other education-related organizations in their State so that faculty continue to teach and students continue to learn. Governors are encouraged to focus these resources on ensuring that all students continue to learn most likely through some form of remote learning. Grant funds awarded under the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund may be used to—
- provide emergency support through grants to local educational agencies that the State educational agency deems have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus to support the ability of such local educational agencies to continue to provide educational services to their students and to support the on-going functionality of the local educational agency;
- provide emergency support through grants to institutions of higher education serving students within the State that the Governor determines have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus to support the ability of such institutions to continue to provide educational services and support the on-going functionality of the institution; and
- provide support to any other institution of higher education, local educational agency, or education-related entity within the State that the Governor deems essential for carrying out emergency educational services to students for authorized activities described in section 18003(d)(1) of the CARES Act or the Higher Education Act, the provision of child care and early childhood education, social and emotional support, and the protection of education-related jobs.
A Governor must award funds to eligible entities (i.e., LEAs, IHEs, and education-related entities) within one year of receiving the State's GEER Fund allocation from the Department, although the Governor should use every effort to award funds to eligible entities on an expedited basis to address student needs. Subgrants should be prioritized for LEAs and IHEs within the State that have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus in order to support their ability to continue to provide educational services to students and to support their on-going functionality.
- In providing support to IHEs, the Governor determines those IHEs that are most significantly impacted by coronavirus.
- In providing support to LEAs, the State educational agency (SEA) determines those LEAs that are most significantly impacted by coronavirus. The Department encourages SEAs to consult with the Governor when making this determination.
A Governor may also award funds to any other LEA, IHE, or education-related entity within the State that the Governor deems essential to carry out emergency educational services to students, provide childcare and early childhood education, provide social and emotional support, and protect education-related jobs.
History of Funding
A completed list of allocations made under Massachusetts GEER has been obtained from USASpending.gov. Please contact helpdesk@grantsoffice.com for details on these allocations.
- $2,138,200 to Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care to provide support for the Remote Learning Support Grant program
- $18,575,000 to Department of Higher Education for fiscal monitoring activities, emergency need-based assistance to community colleges students, and help support the safe return of people to higher education campuses
- $15,000,000 to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for secondary online courses and early literacy programs
- $7,004,000 to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development for health and safety grant programs for nonpublic K-12 schools
- $5,668,504.46 to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for remote learning assistance
- $1,000,000 to the Department of Higher Education for dual enrollment courses
- $1,000,000 to the Department of Higher Education for early college programs
- $200,000 to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the Berkshire Education Task Force
Additional Information
Governor Charlie Baker has decided that the state's GEER funding shall be shared among several K12 and Higher Education initiatives.
Elementary & Secondary Education -
- Contracts to educational entities to provide early literacy supports, including tutoring, for children prek-3rd grade. These early literacy programs shall be aimed at remediating learning loss children may have experienced since schools closed in March, as well as accelerate reading skills of children in high-need communities;
- Contracts to educational entities to support online AP and college courses for high school students
- Competitive grants to LEA's to expand virtual school enrollment, this program was known as the Secondary Virtual Course Access grant. Additional details are available at: https://www.doe.mass.edu/grants/2021/423/
- Grants to private schools to mitigate the costs of reopening and support remote learning
Higher Education -
- Contracts for strategic consulting services to assess the fiscal impact of COVID-19 on publicIHE's
- Grants to IHE's to mitigate the costs of bringing students back to campus safely in the Fall. For each institution, the allocation was the greater of $90,000 or $175 per student awarded Pell grants in the 2017-2018 academic year.
- Grants to public and small private IHE's at risk of insolvency/closure
- Grants to public community colleges for emergency need-based financial aid to ensure continued enrollment. Additional information is available at https://www.mefa.org/uploads/MEFA%20Institute%20Understanding%20MA%20State%20Financial%20Aid_1.pdf
Eligibility Details
State Governors may apply on behalf of their State Education Agency. It is expected that State Education Agencies will then redistribute or regrant awarded funds to Local Education Agencies, Institutions of Higher Education, or other education service providers.
In Massachusetts, the majority of GEER funding was distributed through direct allocations and/or service contracts.
The only competitive funding available was through the Secondary Virtual Course Access Grant Program for School districts that serve secondary students in grades 6 through 12 and meet certain additional eligibility criteria. Please see the Grants Office summary for that grant opportunity for additional details.
NOTE: A local educational agency receiving funds shall provide equitable services in the same manner as provided under section 1117 of the ESEA of 1965 to students and teachers in non-public schools, as determined in consultation with representatives of non-public schools. However, the control of funds for the services and assistance provided to a non-public school, and title to materials, equipment, and property purchased with such funds, shall be in a public agency, and a public agency shall administer such funds, materials, equipment, and property and shall provide such services (or may contract for the provision of such services with a public or private entity).
Deadline Details
The majority of funding was automatically distributed to those identified as eligible.
The only competitive funding available was through the Secondary Virtual Course Access Grant Program, whose deadline is November 25, 2020.
This is a one-time emergency funding opportunity. Future deadlines are not anticipated.
Award Details
A total of $2,953,230,000 has been allocated for the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund. Funds under this program remain available for obligation through September 30, 2022.
The amount of each grant shall be allocated to each State based on the following formula:
- 60% on the basis of their relative population of individuals aged 5 through 24 as of 2018 census data.
- 40% on the basis of their relative number of children counted for FY20 under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (referred to under this heading as ‘‘ESEA'').
Massachusetts was awarded $50,843,703 on May 1, 2020. Governors shall return to the Secretary any funds that the Governor does not regrant within one year of receiving such funds and the Secretary shall reallocate such funds. Regranted funds under this program remain available for obligation through September 30, 2022.
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