Grants

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.

• Service Allocation List for GAPS

GAPS Approved Service Allocation Process

Below is the process of how final funding allocations for GAPS was calculated.

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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

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*Adjusted due to GAPS application extension. 

August 30, 2021:

The CRRSA EANS I Round Two application is available online. The application deadline is October 8th, 2021.

August 17, 2021:

The statewide training on CRRSA EANS I Round Two is now live. Please visit that training prior to the live Q&A sessions.

August 11, 2021:

The contract with the prospective education service center (ESC) has been executed. The ESC that will be assisting with reimbursement and procurements for services and assistance is ESC Region 10 in Richardson, Texas.

Region 10 will assist PNPs participating in the CRRSA EANS I program in completing the reimbursement and procurement process for services and assistance throughout the grant period.

Region 10 ESC will host a kickoff meeting with participating private schools next week to discuss processes and procedures for receiving services. The meeting invitation will be sent out from Region 10 to the private school contact person(s).

Region 10’s EANS materials are available from the Region 10 website.

For more information, please contact eans@region10.org.

August 6, 2021 *UPDATED* :

CRRSA EANS I Round Two Q&A session dates are now scheduled. Please register using the links below. Prior to the first session, the CRRSA EANS I Round Two training will be posted to the EANS webpage.

Register for Q&A Session #1: 9:00 a.m. on Weds., Aug. 26, 2021

Register for Q&A Session #2: 9:00 a.m. on Mon., Aug. 30, 2021

Register for Q&A Session #3: 9:00 a.m. on Thurs., Sept. 2, 2021

June 28, 2021:

All approved EANS I requests from private nonprofit schools, as previously notified, will be fully funded. Round 2 requests may be reduced proportionally based on the required prioritization criteria as needed.

USDE has clarified the following types of activities as unallowable under EANS. If TEA had previously approved these items, they will be removed from your application before determining the amounts for services.

• Touchless toilets
• Touchless faucets
• Substitute teachers while PNP teachers are out with COVID-19

TEA will continue to update the allowable/unallowable activity list as USDE provides clarifications.

July 2021

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The ARP Act extends the EANS program authorized under section 312(d) of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA Act), Pub. Law 116-260 (Dec. 27, 2020). Accordingly, with two exceptions, the requirements of ARP 2 EANS are the same as those in section 312(d) of the CRRSA Act. The two exceptions are: (1) a State educational agency (SEA) may only provide services or assistance under ARP EANS to non-public schools that enroll a significant percentage of low-income students and are most impacted by the COVID-19 emergency; and (2) an SEA may not use ARP EANS funds to provide reimbursements to any non-public school for costs the school incurred to address the impact of the COVID-19 emergency, as authorized under section 312(d)(4)(M) of the CRRSA Act.

ARP EANS II Approved Service Allocations

Service allocations for ARP EANS II were made public on July 29, 2022. This will serve as the official award date for PNPs.

• Service Allocation List for ARP EANS II

ARP EANS II Service Allocation Process

Below is the process of how final funding allocations for ARP EANS II was calculated.

1. TEA takes the sum of your allowable services and assistance from your ARP EANS II application and inputs into formula.
2. Your sum of allowable services and assistance from application is then weighted by your school's low-income student percentage.
3. Allowable services and assistance are also weighted by number of COVID-19 infections (cases) & related deaths (fatalities) based on the county in which your school is located.
4. Final weighted amount is calculated for each PNP based on the combined amounts for the above-listed items.

ARP EANS II Application

Private non-profit schools may access the ARP EANS II application.

Note: The application deadline is April 1st, 2022 at 11:59pm CST.

State ARP EANS II Application (to USDE)

• Application for Funding

Note: PNP’s low-income student percentage must be at or above 22% to apply for ARP EANS II.

Sources of Poverty Data

• Free or reduced-price lunch data
• Scholarship or financial assistance data that is similar to free or reduced-price lunch eligibility
• E-rate data

COVID-19 Impact Data

Per federal requirements, Section 2002(a) of the ARP Act requires an SEA to provide services and assistance to non-public school that is most impacted by the COVID-19 impact. Texas will be using two factors that will be used to determine which non-public schools are most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. The number of COVID-19 infections per capita in the community or communities served by the non-public school.
2. The number of COVID-19 related deaths per capita in the community or communities served by the non-public school.

TEA’s methodology to determine which non-public schools have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will be comparing the data for the county in which your school resides to a statewide average collected at the end of the application window (04/01/22).

TEA Announcements

January 31st, 2022:

ARP EANS II Q&A session dates are now posted, please use the registration link to register for the event(s).

• Register for Session #1 (2/2/2022) (1pm to 2pm CST)
• Register for Session #2 (2/9/2022) (1pm to 2pm CST)
• Register for Session #3 (2/10/2022) (1pm to 2pm CST)

TEA Guidance and FAQ

The following guidance is also available:

ARP EANS II Allowable Services and Assistance by Category

ARP EANS II Statewide Training: Video presentation from January 31st, 2022; training in PDF.

Refer to the EANS Grant Program FAQ for answers to common questions.

Use the EANS FAQ Submission form to submit new EANS questions to TEA staff.

ARP EANS II and GAPS (GEER) Liquidation Extension Slide Deck from September 17th, 2024.

ARP EANS II Program Timeline

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Federal Guidance

The USDE Department of Education (USDE) publishes a FAQ on the EANS grant program, which is linked to the USDE's main EANS page. The FAQ addresses issues related to PNP eligibility (Section C) and types of services and assistance available (Section D).

The Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) grant is part of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) II Fund, authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act signed into law in December 2020.

EANS provides funding for services to non-public schools suffering the impact of COVID-19. Allowable uses of EANS funding include costs associated with safely reopening schools, continuing instruction, addressing learning loss, supporting educational technology, and reimbursing for certain coronavirus-related expenses.

Funds may be used for pre-award costs dating back to March 13, 2020, when the COVID-19 national emergency was declared, and must be fully expended by September 30, 2023.

CRSSA EANS I Round Two Service Allocation Amounts

Service allocations for CRRSA EANS I Round Two were made public on December 3, 2021. This will serve as the official award date for PNPs.

• Service Allocation List for EANS I Round Two

NOTE: Allocations were modified on December 6, 2021, to correct for a software error. The list now reflects the accurate funding allocations for PNPs participating in Round Two of CRRSA EANS I.

CRSSA EANS I Round Two Service Allocation Process

Below is the process of how final funding allocations for CRRSA EANS I Round Two were calculated.

1. TEA takes the sum of your allowable services and assistance from your CRRSA EANS I R2 application and inputs into formula.
2. Your sum of allowable services and assistance from application is then weighted by your school's low-income student percentage and COVID-19 impact.
3. Ratable reduction percentage is then calculated by taking the sum of all PNP’s weighted allocations (starting value) and working towards the remainder of funds left in the CRRSA EANS I program (final value).
4. Weighted allocation is then multiplied by ratable reduction percentage for each PNP.
5. Final weighted and ratably reduced allocation is calculated for each PNP.

CRRSA EANS I Round One Approved Service Allocations

Service allocations for CRRSA EANS I Round One were made public on July 12, 2021. This will serve as the official award date for PNPs.

• Service Allocation List for EANS I

TEA Announcements

November 4, 2021:

TEA has received close to 300 applications, totaling $196 million of services, for the remaining available $46 million, with about 50 new schools submitting the Round Two application. Until all applications are fully reviewed, there is no guarantee of funding to schools until early next month. (Note that for Round One, TEA received about 300 applications and allocated over $105 million.)  By federal statute, TEA will prioritize the requests to determine the allocation of the remaining $46 million in services.

If your school has already received an amended Round Two application, please remember that amounts will be decided later (as stated in your email from the agency). That decision will be made public by December 6, 2021, and information on when to contact Region 10 will be provided at that time.

Until funding allocations are announced, please do not contact Region 10 regarding Round Two services or assistance. TEA apologizes if the notification of allowable activities has been confusing, but federal statue dictates the review process and timelines for notifying you on the status of your application.

Refer to the CRRSA EANS I Announcement Archive for previous announcements.

How to Receive EANS Information Directly from TEA

Information will be shared through TEPSAC and TPSA and through TEA's private nonprofit school (PNP) email list. If you are not on our email list for private schools, you may join at the Texas Education Agency Updates page by following these steps:

1. Choose your subscription type (the way you would like to receive updates).
2. Enter your email address or text information and click "Submit."
3. On the lengthy list of available topics that opens, scroll down to the bolded Texas Schools heading.
4. Check the box next to Private Nonprofit (PNP) Schools.
5. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.

TEA Guidance and FAQ

Refer to the EANS Grant Program FAQ for answers to common questions. Use the EANS FAQ Submission form to submit new EANS questions to TEA staff. 

The following guidance is also available: 

• Round One training: Video presentation from April 7, 2021; April 7, 2021, training in PDF
• Round Two training: Video Presentation from Aug. 16, 2021; Aug. 16, 2021, training in PDF

Find additional grant-related guidance on the Department of Grant Compliance and Administration YouTube playlist.

• CRRSA EANS I Liquidation Extension Slide Deck, October 4th, 2023.

Low-Income Determination Data

Free- and Reduced-Price Lunch Income Eligibility Criteria: This information may be helpful to private schools in determining local low-income data that is aligned to National Free- and Reduced-Price Lunch eligibility data.

Title I Campus List by District Name, with Low Income Student Percentage: This information can be used by private schools using the proportionality method to determine their number of low income students.

CRRSA EANS I Program Timeline

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Federal Guidance

The USDE Department of Education (USDE) publishes a FAQ on the EANS grant program, which is linked to the USDE's main EANS page. The FAQ addresses issues related to PNP eligibility (Section C) and types of services and assistance available (Section D).

To address a small number of school systems that have more direct COVID-19 expenses and/or projected costs for learning loss recovery than they will receive under CRRSA ESSER II and ARP ESSER III formula funding, the Texas Legislature authorized under TEC Section 29.930 as added by House Bill 1525, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, a portion of the state’s discretionary ESSER III funding to provide additional resources to pay for unreimbursed costs due to the coronavirus pandemic and for intensive educational supports for students not performing satisfactorily.

The period of availability for ESSER-SUPP grant funds is from March 13, 2020 (with pre-award) to August 31, 2023.

For ESSER-SUPP, use ESSER III FAR code 283, along with a local option code to distinguish it from ESSER III.

Grant Application

The ESSER-SUPP grant application is available online through eGrants. 

The following application materials are listed here for easy reference; they are also available on the 2021-2023 ESSER Supplemental (ESSER-SUPP) Federal Grant Application page of TEA Grant Opportunities.

• Sample ESSER-SUPP application
• ESSER-SUPP Program Guidelines

Grant Allocations

The Entitlements page lists ESSER-SUPP amounts allocated to eligible LEAs by LEA and ESC.

ESSER-SUPP Training and Resources

Answers to frequently asked questions are listed in the ESSER-SUPP FAQ. The FAQ will be updated regularly. Use the ESSER FAQ Submission form to submit new ESSER questions to TEA staff. 

Application training resources will be posted here when available.

Preliminary Grant Timeline

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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. 

The ESSER II grant program was authorized in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA), signed into law in December 2020.

The period of availability of CRRSA ESSER II grant funds is March 13, 2020 (with pre-award), to September 30, 2023 (with carryover).

The ESSER II FAR code is 281.

Entitlements

The Entitlements page lists CRRSA ESSER II 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.

LEA Application

The 2020-2022 CRRSA ESSER II Federal Grant Application is available from the TEA Grant Opportunities page. 

RFA materials from the application are also available here:

• Program Guidelines
• Program-Specific Provisions and Assurances
• Sample Application

ESSER Training and Resources

Visit the GCA playlist on YouTube to find video guidance on Completing the CRRSA Application Schedules. 

The following 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. As of 12/19/2022, this form will be submitted via the EDGAR 2.0 WorkApp.

USDE Resources

The US Department of Education has developed the following resource applicable to CRRSA ESSER II:

• FAQ: ESSER and Governor's Emergency Education Relief Programs

ESSER II Grant Program Announcement

TEA announced the CRRSA ESSER II grant program in a June 3, 2021, letter posted to the TEA Correspondence page.

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.

ARP ESSER III RIPICS and Use of Funds Plans

Materials Required to Be Posted on the Web
An LEA that receives ESSER III grant funding is required to develop the following plans and post them online:

• A plan for safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services, per ARP Section 2001(i)
• An ESSER III use of funds plan

For all LEAs that receive ESSER III grant funding, TEA is required to supply USDE with the URLs for these two plans.

How to Submit Plan URLs
Any LEA that receives ARP ESSER III grant funding is required to submit the URLs for each of its required plans to TEA. To provide new or updated URLs:

1. LEAs need to review the ARP ESSER III LEA Plans report verify that both links listed for their respective LEA are the most accurate and up-to-date links.
2. If links are not correct or up-to-date, LEAs can resubmit correct URLs through the ESSER Compliance WorkApp.
   1. LEA contacts that have current access to submit EDGAR forms for TEA prior approval have access to make these changes.
   2. A Help Form and resources are available within the compliance system to address questions, concerns, or request for technical assistance.
3. If the information is correct, no further action is required.

ARP ESSER III LEA Plans
LEA plans can be found here.

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. As of 12/19/2022, this form will be submitted via the EDGAR 2.0 WorkApp.
• URLs for LEA Plans: Complete this form to provide TEA with the URLs to your online 1) Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan and 2) ARP ESSER LEA Use of Funds Plan.

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:

• Program Guidelines
• Program-Specific Provisions and Assurances
• Sample Application
• Schedule PS3013 instructions
• Schedule PS3014 instructions

ESSER III State Plan

In accordance with the Approved Texas State Plan for ARP ESSER III, TEA has randomly selected LEAs to validate compliance with the Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services (RIPICS) Plan as well as other ARP ESSER III program compliance indicators.

List of LEAs chosen for random validation. Validations will be performed between September 20 and December 31, 2021.

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.

• FAQ: ESSER Governor's Emergency Education Relief Program
• Fact Sheet: ARP ESSER III

ARP ESSER III Grant Program Announcement

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

• To the Administrator Addressed letter (04/28/2021)
• Press release from the Office of the Texas Governor (04/28/2021)