SERC Programs
Overview
Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) American Rescue Plan Emergency Application to Non-Public School (ARP EANS)
The deadline to apply for GEER ARP EANS assistance is Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 5 p.m..
Decisions will be communicated by Thursday, April 6, 2023.
Informational Webinar
Thursday, February 23, 2023, 9:00-10:00am
General Information
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA Act), Pub. L. No. 116-260 (December 27, 2020), Congress first authorized the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program as part of the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER II) Fund to provide emergency services or assistance to non-public schools in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act), Pub. L. No. 117-2 (March 11, 2021), authorized a second round of funding (ARP EANS) to provide services or assistance to non-public schools. With two exceptions, the requirements of ARP 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 students from low-income families and are most impacted by the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (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 COVID-19 emergency.
The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) may provide services or assistance to non-public schools under the EANS program directly or through a contract with an individual, association, agency, or organization. To better facilitate this program under the deadlines, CSDE has contracted with the State Education Resource Center (SERC) to disseminate and collect applications and to provide the services and assistance under the EANS program. To receive services or assistance under the EANS program, an eligible non-public school must submit an application to SERC.
Important Updated Information
Given that the eligibility threshold of 40% of students from low-income families was restrictive and prevented many non-public schools from participating in the program, the State is offering a second opportunity to apply for assistance. All requirements will remain the same except that there will not be a low-income threshold that schools must meet. However, while there is no low-income threshold, CSDE still must prioritize services or assistance to non-public schools that enroll low-income students and are most impacted by COVID-19; therefore, schools will be required to provide the necessary low-income information for reporting purposes and to prorate funding should the total amount of assistance requested be greater than the total amount of funding available.
A non-public school may apply to receive a variety of services or assistance from SERC to address educational disruptions resulting from COVID-19. Schools will not be reimbursed for supplies or assistance they have previously purchased. Services and assistance include, for example, supplies to sanitize, disinfect, and clean school facilities; personal protective equipment (PPE); training and professional development for staff on sanitation, PPE, and minimizing the spread of COVID-19; temporary physical barriers to facilitate social distancing; and educational technology to assist students and teachers with remote or hybrid learning.
All services or assistance provided with GEER ARP EANS funds must be secular, neutral, and non-ideological.
Contact information:
For questions regarding the EANS application process please contact:
Leah Grenier
Connecticut State Department of Education
Bureau of Fiscal Services
450 Columbus Boulevard
Hartford, CT 06103
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For questions on allowable services or assistance, please see the Frequently Asked Questions posted online at https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/09/Final-EANS-FAQ-Update-9.17.21.pdf
If additional information is needed on allowable services or assistance, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Application & Related Forms
To access the GEER ARP EANS application, visit: https://serc.info/geerarpeans23.
To preview the application in order to gather required information and supporting documents, download a PDF version of the application here: https://files.serc.co/arp-eans/20230217-GEER_ARP_EANS_2023.pdf.
Form Downloads:
