The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was enacted on March 11, 2021 - following the original Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act enacted on March 27, 2020 and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act enacted on December 27, 2020.
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) Fund is designated to support K-12 schools to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will administer this fund.
ESSER III contains new requirement for LEAs to create a ‘Safe Return to In-Person Instruction Plan’. These requirements were announced by USED through an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that was released on 4/22/2021, and must be met as a condition of receiving ESSER III funds the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.
