GEER Assistance to Private Schools (GAPS) Grant Program
The Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) Assistance to Private Schools (GAPS) grant program was authorized by the Office of the Governor (OOG) to provide funding to non-public schools to address COVID-19 related activities associated with safely reopening schools, continuing instruction, addressing learning loss, promoting school safety, and supporting educational technology.
The GAPS grant program is part of the GEER II Fund, authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP). This program allows for eligible private non-profit schools to request services to address needs identified and caused by the pandemic, including limited school safety related activities.
GAPS Approved Service Allocations
Service allocations for GAPS were made public on March 24, 2023. This will serve as the official award date for PNPs.
GAPS Approved Service Allocation Process
Below is the process of how final funding allocations for GAPS was calculated.
| Step # | Description |
|---|---|
| #1 | Because PNP requests for services exceeded the amount of funding available for services, TEA must implement the USDE approved prioritization formula. |
| #2 | The sum of requested allowable services from the application is then weighted by your school's low-income student percentage and COVID-19 impact. |
| #3 | Because the amount of funds requested after prioritization still exceeded the amount of funding available, TEA must ratably reduce all PNP requests equitably. |
| #4 | Weighted allocation from Step 2 is then multiplied by ratable reduction percentage for each PNP. |
| #5 | Final allocation is determined for each PNP. |
TEA Guidance and FAQ
- Refer to the GAPS Grant Program FAQ for answers to common questions.
- Use the GAPS FAQ Submission form to submit new GAPS questions to TEA staff.
- GAPS Allowable Services and Assistance by Category
- GAPS Statewide Training Video and Slide Deck (12/11/2022)
- ARP EANS II and GAPS (GEER) Liquidation Extension Slide Deck from September 17th, 2024.
GAPS Grant Program Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 12/6/2022 | TEA releases GAPS program application to PNPs; TEA notifies PNPs of application availability. |
| 1/31/2023 | PNP applications due to TEA; TEA must approve/deny PNP applications within 30 days of receipt. |
| 2/28/2023 | Last day for TEA to approve PNP applications. |
| 3/24/2023* | Final day for TEA to announce service allocation amounts for eligible PNPs. |
| 4/2023 | Approved PNPs will begin to receive services, if not before, from the contracted public entity selected by TEA. NOTE: The contracted public entity will be following statewide procurement processes, and as a result, it will be no earlier than this date. |
| 9/30/2024** |
Last day for PNPs to receive services under GAPS program funding. **Date adjusted due to USDE approval of GAPS (GEER) liquidation extension. Please refer to new dates listed below. |
| 01/31/2026 | Last day PNPs can submit procurement (direct-pay) requests to the statewide contractor, ESC Region10. Although the official program end date for GAPS (GEER) is 02/28/2026, the TEA has determined that schools must submit their requests no later than 01/31/2026. This allows for timely processing of all final requests, for corrections to be made should discrepancies be found with requests made by schools, and for final closeout of the ARP and GAPS programs. |
*Adjusted due to GAPS application extension.
Reach GAPS staff directly via email at the following address: