The Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools application was submitted by the Governor on Friday, February 5. The Federal Government has 20 days to release the funding. In the meantime, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is crafting an application for all schools to apply for support. The formula determining amount per student has yet to be announced. If your schools wants to apply for the EANS funding, you may not receive funding from the second Payroll Protection Program.
KEY POINTS
- EANS funding will NOT be considered taking federal dollars.
- The amount and the process for accessing this funding is currently being devised.
- Schools cannot not take the 2nd round of PPP and EANS. It is one or the other. You can apply for PPP, but leave the money in the bank to remain eligible for the EANS.
EANS funds can be used for the following purposes:
- (A) supplies to sanitize, disinfect, and clean school facilities;
- (B) personal protective equipment;
- (C) improving ventilation systems, including windows or portable air purification systems to ensure healthy air in the non-public school;
- (D) training and professional development for staff on sanitation, the use of personal protective equipment, and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases;
- (E) physical barriers to facilitate social distancing;
- (F) other materials, supplies, or equipment to implement public health protocols, including guidelines and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff during the qualifying emergency;
- (G) expanding capacity to administer coronavirus testing to effectively monitor and suppress coronavirus, to conduct surveillance and contact tracing activities, and to support other activities related to coronavirus testing for students, teachers, and staff at the non-public school;
- (H) educational technology (including hardware, software, connectivity, assistive technology, and adaptive equipment) to assist students, educators, and other staff with remote or hybrid learning;
- (I) redeveloping instructional plans, including curriculum development, for remote learning, hybrid learning, or to address learning loss;
- (J) leasing of sites or spaces to ensure safe social distancing to implement public health protocols;
- (K) reasonable transportation costs;
- (L) initiating and maintaining education and support services or assistance for remote learning, hybrid learning, or to address learning loss.
The law allows EANS funds to be used to reimburse schools for purchases already made, EXCEPT for items listed in C, D, I, and L — those items are not eligible for reimbursement (with the strange caveat that portable air purification systems are an allowable reimbursable expense).
Unlike new purchases, reimbursements could constitute federal financial assistance and thus trigger the strings that come attached to such status. We will get final word on this.
