ARP ESSER III Grant Program

The ARP ESSER III grant program is authorized in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), signed into law in March 2021.

The period of availability for ARP ESSER III grant funds is from March 13, 2020 (with pre-award), to September 30, 2024 (with carryover).

The ESSER III FAR code is 282.

Entitlements

The Entitlements page lists ARP ESSER III amounts allocated to eligible LEAs by LEA and ESC.

Refer to the ESSER Fund Allocation Procedures for details on TEA's method for allocating ESSER funds.

ESSER Training and Resources

TEA staff presented the following material on the ARP ESSER III grant and application on May 11 and 14, 2021:

Grant Program Overview
Planning and Compliance Requirements (training presentation and presentation PowerPoint)
COVID Recovery ESSER Planning Template (Excel and accessible PDF), an optional planning resource
ARP ESSER III Federal Grant Application for Funding (training presentation and presentation PowerPoint)

The following additional resources apply to the ESSER I, CRRSA ESSER II, and ARP ESSER III grant programs.

ESSER FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions are listed in the ESSER FAQ. The FAQ will be updated regularly. Use the ESSER FAQ Submission form to submit new ESSER questions to TEA staff.
ESSER Side-by-Side: The ESSER Side-by-Side Requirements Document provides an overview of the three ESSER grants.
Statewide Training: TEA staff presented a statewide training on the ESSER grants in May 2021. The Grant Program Overview provides information applicable to the ESSER grant applications and requirements.

ESSER Forms

To meet ESSER requirements, TEA has developed the following forms:

Justification/Documentation of Allowable Use of ESSER Funds: Complete this form to document activities funded with ESSER grant funds. The form is maintained locally and provided to TEA only upon request.
Pre-Approval for Construction, Remodeling, Alteration, Renovation, or Repair Costs: Renovations and repairs that require pre-approval include HVAC, ventilation, and air quality costs.

LEA Application

The ARP ESSER III application is available from the TEA Grant Opportunities page. Select "2020-2023 ARP ESSER III Federal Grant Application" from the Application Name field, or search for "ARP".

RFA materials from the application are also available here:

ESSER III State Plan

The Approved Texas State Plan for ARP ESSER III is now available.

Also available is the Required data posting: Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data (June 14, 2021).

USDE Resources

The US Department of Education has developed the following ARP ESSER III resources.

ARP ESSER III Grant Program Announcement

The following links lead to the original announcements of ARP ESSER III grant funding in Texas:

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