Federal Emergency Relief Programs

On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a notice that annual performance reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is discontinued. U.S. ED is not collecting annual performance reporting data for FY24 or any subsequent years.

As a result, school administrative units (SAUs) are no longer required to submit ESSER performance reports to the Maine Department of Education. Please contact Shelly Chasse-Johndro at shelly.chassejohndro@maine.gov with questions. Thank you.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has received $1,021,690,359 in federal emergency relief funding to improve student learning, address unfinished learning, support students’ mental health and combat pandemic-related challenges. The three federal emergency relief acts are:

  • Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act enacted on March 27, 2020 to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools.
  • Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act enacted on December 27, 2020 to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 related to addressing learning loss, preparing schools for reopening, and testing, repairing, and upgrading projects to improve air quality in school buildings.
  • American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act enacted on March 11, 2021 to safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Visit Maine's Whole Student Pandemic Response Page to Explore How Maine Used Federal Emergency Funding to Support Whole Student Education

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Quick Guide to Maine's Federal Emergency Relief Funds
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Emergency Relief Funding Dashboard
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Maintenance of Equity
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Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)
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Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools (EANS)

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund is administered by the United States Department of Education. ESSER funds were distributed "to address diverse needs arising from or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, or to emerge stronger post-pandemic, including responding to students' social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs and continuing to provide educational services as States and school administrative units (SAUs) respond to and recover from the pandemic." (Frequently Asked Questions, updated December 2022). Additional information about the three federal emergency relief acts can be found at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/elementary-secondary-school-emergency-relief-fund.

Any use of ESSER funds must be “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to” the COVID-19 pandemic while being necessary and reasonable for the performance of the ESSER award. This means that transferring funds to a rainy-day fund, bridging a budget shortfall that is not related to the pandemic, and providing matching funds for other federal programs are not allowable.

 

OIG Hotline - Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Think an institution is misusing or abusing ED funds? Do not let COVID-19 pandemic Education Stabilization Funding for Schools and Students end up in the wrong hands. File a complaint online with our Inspector General (OIG) or call their Hotline.