Resources for school leaders
What Line Item is That? Funding a Remote Learning Program
You want to bring the best of remote learning to your students. But, where do you find the budget?
Remote learning, in some capacity, is here to stay. Throughout pandemic closures, schools and districts discovered the unique opportunities that in-person learning could not offer. Students in New York could take virtual trips to Alaska, learners in rural communities could have access to multiple world languages through partnerships with Outschool, and more.
It can be challenging to decipher the details of the many grants, waivers, and funds available to schools and districts. Good news! This page helps education leaders make sense of some of the information in an easy-to-digest format, so you can get the funding your school or district deserves. This list is not exhaustive and we know schools are getting very creative in funding programming. If something is missing, let us know using the form below.
How can existing funding streams
be used for remote learning?
Title I-A:
|
| Title I-A targeted assistance program: Technology for at-risk students and families; technology-related professional development for teachers of at-risk students |
| Title II-A: Technology professional development |
| Title III: Technology for English Language Learners |
| Title IV-A: Digital devices, internet connectivity/virtual private networks (VPNs), and content management systems for students and teachers |
| IDEA: Special education and related services for students with disabilities, which may include assistive technology devices |
| Perkins funds: Digital devices for career and technical education (CTE) programs as a supplement to technology purchased for all students by the LEA |
Other Potential Sources
The Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)
- Who gets it?
-
Part of the CARES act, the majority (90%) of each state’s funds goes to schools and districts that have received Title I, Part A funds that year. All schools can apply to receive money from the remaining 10% of funds.
- How?
-
ESSER funds are distributed by state education agencies (SEAs) to local education agencies (LEAs).
- Use by when?
-
The most recent funds should be used by September 30, 2023.
- For what?
-
The first ESSER funds could be used towards education technology, hardware, or software. The most recent ESSER funds can also be used to address learning loss.
The Governor's Emergency
Education Relief Fund (GEER)
- Who gets it?
-
Part of the CARES act, GEER funds are distributed to states with approved applications, with some of the money specifically earmarked for private schools.
- How?
-
LEAs apply for GEER funds through their Governor’s office.
- Use by when?
-
Early GEER funds must be spent by September 30, 2022, while later subgrants must be spent by September 30, 2023.
- For what?
-
GEER funds can be used broadly by school districts to purchase education technology.
Elementary and Secondary
Education Act Waivers (ESSA)
- Who gets it?
-
Schools already receiving funds can take advantage of certain limitations the Department of Education has waived.
- How?
-
In addition to taking advantage of waivers, districts can also apply for microgrants that come out of Title I funds.
- Use by when?
-
N/A
- For what?
-
Waivers free up more Title IV money to be spent on educational technology infrastructure, including hardware. The waivers also allow schools to transfer TItle I and II funds to Title IV.
Are you tapping funding
streams not listed?
Let us know and we can add it to our resource.