Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA Act), Pub. L. No. 116-260 (December 27, 2020), Congress authorized the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program as part of the Act’s Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER), which provided Alabama with $45,000,000 for emergency services or assistance to non-public schools suffering the impact of COVID-19.
Non-public schools were able to apply for these funds for “secular, neutral, and non-ideological” services and assistance, including sanitation, personal protective equipment, COVID testing, educational technology, and connectivity from January 2021 through April 2021. Qualifying non-public schools were also able to request reimbursement for similar expenses incurred on or after March 13, 2020. State education agencies (SEAs) were required to provide these services directly or under contract and retain control of funds and title to the equipment.
ARP EANS II Grant Program
The American Rescue Plan Act extended 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) which provided Alabama with $44,895,780 of additional funds for non-public schools.
Non-public schools were able to apply for these funds for “secular, neutral, and non-ideological” services and assistance, including sanitation, personal protective equipment, COVID testing, educational technology, and connectivity from September 2021 through March 2022. Reimbursements were not allowed with this round of funding. State education agencies (SEAs) were required to provide these services directly or under contract and retain control of funds and title to the equipment.
Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund II Reverted Funds Program
Under the CRSSA Act, all unobligated EANS I funds, totaling $13,478,243.60, were reverted to the Governor’s office. Under the ARP Act, all unobligated EANS II funds, totaling $22,949,044.06, were also reverted to the Governor’s office. The Governor’s office re-awarded $14,849,973.82 to the ALSDE to continue to serve the non-public schools awarded through the ARP EANS II Grant Program and to serve non-public schools that did not benefit from EANS I or EANS II.
Non-public schools were able to apply for these funds for “secular, neutral, and non-ideological” services and assistance, including sanitation, personal protective equipment, COVID testing, educational technology, and connectivity from September 2022 through October 2022. Reimbursements were not allowed with this round of funding. State education agencies (SEAs) were required to provide these services directly or under contract and retain control of funds and title to the equipment.