Missouri’s local education agencies (LEAs) have a number of different opportunities to receive CARES Act funding to support efforts to continue to educate students and to provide reimbursement for certain COVID-19 related expenses. Funding sources within the CARES Act include the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), the Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER).

Programs

CARES K-12 Support (CRF)-The purpose of the Support for K-12 Education is to provide assistance to LEAs with COVID-19 related expenditures through December 30, 2020.

• Grant Status: Closed
• Allocation: $695,892
• Total Spent: $689,002.50 
• Funds were used to purchase Chromebooks and an Overdrive eBook license for all students.

COVID-19 Response Supply Reimbursement Grant(CRF)- The purpose of this grant is to reimburse a 25% share of direct costs related to the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical supplies, and sanitation related supplies and equipment in response to the COVID-19 impact on schools and school buses. These funds require local counties to provide schools a 75% match from CRF fund allocations.  Allowable expense timeline is March 13, 2020 - October 30, 2020. 

• Grant Status: Closed
• Total Reimbursement from DESE: $54,002.65
• Total Reimbursement from St. Louis County: $162,007.94
• Funds were used to purchase PPE, sanitation, and medical supplies and equipment.

Missouri Student Connectivity Grant – This project combines funding from CRF, GEER and ESSER sources to support student connectivity across the state, specifically by increasing both access to WiFi and the number of devices in the hands of Missouri students. 

• CRF Missouri Student Connectivity Access(MSC-A) Access: CRF funds support extending school network access and aims to make WiFi available outside the building for students and families to access when buildings are closed. Deadline to obligate funds, October 30, 2020.

• • Grant Status: Closed
  • Allocation: $92,000
  • Total Spent: $92,000
  • Funds were used for Hotspots and rooftop wifi to allow access to the internet in the parking lots and playgrounds when it is feasible to instruct outside.  

• GEER Missouri Student Connectivity (MSC-C) Connections: GEER funds plus ESSER state reserve funds, are used to provide more electronic devices for students. Equitable services are provided for students at nonpublic schools as well. Deadlione to obligate funds, September 30, 2021.

• • Grant Status: Closed
  • LEA Allocation: $573,019.32
  • Total Spent: $571,317.04
  • Funds were used to purchase chromebooks, chromebook carts, document cameras, PPE items, handheld foggers.
  • Nonpublic Allocation: $75,063.58
  • Total Spent: $75,061
  • Funds were used to purchase chromebook carts, document cameras, PPE and sanitation supplies.

Transportation Supplement (GEER) – Purpose is to support student transportation costs related to COVID-19. Equitable services are provided for students at nonpublic schools as well. Allowable costs include additional routes, buses, fuel, drivers, monitors, and sanitation and medical equipment and supplies. Deadline to obligate funds, September 30, 2021.

• Grant Status: Closed
• LEA Allocation: $85,860.28
• Total Spent: $85,860.28
• Funds were used to support transportation salaries and additional bus routes.
• Nonpublic Allocation:$11,511.60
• Total Spent: $11,511.60
• Funds were used to purchase Chromebooks, microphones, tablets, webcams and PPE and sanitation supplies.

Transportation for Meal Delivery (CRF) – Reimbursements were made for direct LEA costs associated with delivering meals when school buildings were closed during spring 2020. Allowable costs include contracted meal delivery route costs, transportation staffing, supply costs and operational expenses for district-owned buses and other vehicles. Deadline to obligate funds, June 30, 2020.

• Grant Status: Closed
• Allocation: $536,656.75
• Total Spent: $536,656.75
• Funds were used to purchase meal delivery coolers, PPE supplies, salaries, etc for summer -August meal service. 

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER I) - The purpose of the ESSER I fund is to provide LEAs with emergency relief funds to address the impact COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools. This includes both continuing to provide educational services while schools are closed and developing plans for the return to normal operations. The deadline to obligate funds is September 30, 2022.

• Grant Status: Closed
• LEA Allocation: $2,589,326.78
• Total Spent: $2,589,326.78
• Funds were used to purchase:
  • On Call Social Worker 
  • Securly Filtering Service
  • Canvas K-12 Learning Management System
  • K-5 Studies Weekly Online Science Digital Supplemental Software
  • Online K-12 Music Programs
  • Online SeeSaw Learning for PK-2
  • Internet Connectivity Hotspots
  • Newsela Subscriptions
  • Zoom Licenses
  • Refridgerated Box Truck Rental for meal distribution
  • Laptops and Chromebooks
  • Chromebook Carts
  • Smart TVs
  • Webcams
  • Document Cameras
  • Headphones
  • Water Bottles
  • PPE and Sanitation supplies (Face Masks, Face Shields, gloves,Instrument Covers, Zip Lock Bags, sanitizer,disinfectant, wipes)
  • Smartboards
  • Library Books
• Nonpublic Allocation: $367,236.47
• Total Spent: $367,236.47
• Funds were used to purchase:
  • IXL Subscriptions
  • Zoom Subscriptions
  • TPT School Access Licenses
  • Water Fountain Upgrades
  • Chromebooks and Laptops
  • Chromebook Carts
  • Tablets
  • Wireless Mics
  • Headphones
  • Media Carts
  • Webcams
  • Walkie Talkies
  • Table Dividers, Desk Shields, Sneeze guards
  • Social Distancing Signage
  • Lab Coats
  • Isolation Gowns
  • UVL Sprayer Fogger Machine
  • Thermometers
  • PPE and sanitation supplies (Face Masks, Face Shields, Gloves, sanitizer, disinfectant, wipes)  

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act-Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II) - Like ESSER I, the purpose of the ESSER II fund is to provide districts with emergency relief funds to address the impact COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools that are providing educational services. ESSER II is focused on helping school districts safely reopen schools and measure and effectively address significant learning loss. Allowable expenses for ESSER II are similar to ESSER I, with a few notable additions: ventilation upgrades, facilities improvements to address environmental health issues, and learning loss remediation. The deadline to obligate funds is September 30, 2023.