Dear County Superintendents of Schools:

First Apportionment for Learning Loss Mitigation Funding
Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund
Fiscal Year 2020–21

This apportionment, in the amount of $99,119,607, is made from federal funds provided to the state from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, Section 18002 (Public Law 116–136), and pursuant to Section 110 of Senate Bill (SB) 98 (Chapter 24, Statutes of 2020) as amended by Section 59 of SB 820 (Chapter 110, Statutes of 2020). The GEER Fund is one of three fund sources available for Learning Loss Mitigation Funding (LLMF). The other two fund sources, which were released in separate apportionments in September 2020, include the Coronavirus Relief (CR) Fund and the state General Fund (GF).

To meet federal cash management requirements to reduce the time elapsing between the receipt and disbursement of federal funds, amounts paid in this apportionment reflect 25 percent of each eligible local educational agency’s (LEA’s) allocation of GEER Funds calculated pursuant to Section 110(a), plus GEER expenditures reported by October 31, 2020. Remaining funds will be apportioned quarterly based on CARES Act reporting.

The LLMF may be used to support individuals served by LEAs, including, but not limited to, those enrolled in a childcare program, California state preschool program, kindergarten, any of grades one to twelve, inclusive, and adult education programs. The eligible uses of LLMF is consistent for all three fund sources regardless of the formula under which funding is generated and must be used for the purposes identified in Section 110(d). Additional details for the LLMF, including use of funds, expenditure deadlines, allocation formulas, apportionment timing, and other LLMF requirements are available on the LLMF web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/cr/learningloss.asp.

State compliance requirements in SB 98 as amended by SB 820 and federal compliance requirements specific to CR and GEER Funds are detailed in the LLMF Assurances, available on LLMF web page at the web address noted above.

For the GEER Fund, the United States Department of Education (ED) grant award number for this funding is S425C200012. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance subprogram number is 84.425C (Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund). The funding is appropriated in Section 110 of SB 98 as amended by Section 59 of SB 820. The California sub-allocation (pass-through) number is Program Cost Account (PCA) 15517.

The GEER Fund is subject to the provisions of the General Education Provisions Act (Public Law 103–382). This grant is also subject to 34 CFR, Part 200; the Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR, parts 75, 76, 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98 and 99; the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR, Part 200; 2 CFR, Part 175.15(b); 2 CFR, Part 180; 2 CFR, Part 3485; and Presidential Executive Order 13513.

Under the federal Tydings Amendment, Section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act, any funds that are not obligated at the end of the federal funding period, May 13, 2020, through September 30, 2021, shall remain available for obligation for an additional period of 12 months, through September 30, 2022.

Pursuant to 2 CFR, Section 200.305(b)(9), interest earned amounts up to $500 per year may be retained by the non-Federal entity for administrative expense. Any additional interest earned on Federal advance payments deposited in interest-bearing accounts must be remitted annually. LEAs should forward interest payments for remittance to the ED to:

California Department of Education
Cashier’s Office
P.O. Box 515006
Sacramento, CA 95851

To ensure proper posting of payments, please indicate the program’s PCA number (PCA 15517), and identify the payment as “Federal Interest Returned.”

Warrants are anticipated to be mailed to each county treasurer approximately three weeks from the data of this notice. For standardized account code structure coding, use Resource Code 3215, Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund: Learning Loss Mitigation and Revenue Object Code 8290, All Other Federal Revenue.

County superintendents were notified of this apportionment by email sent to their CDEfisc email addresses. The CDE requested that the email be forwarded to all school districts and charter schools in the county, and included the links to this letter and the accompanying apportionment schedule posted on the CDE web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/learningloss.asp.

If you have any program related questions regarding the LLMF, such as use of funds, reporting requirements, or other program requirements, please contact the Government Affairs Division, CARES Help Office, by email at CARESAct@cde.ca.gov, or visit the CDE web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/cr/learningloss.asp. For questions concerning this apportionment or the LLMF allocation amounts, please contact Julie Klein Briggs, Fiscal Consultant, Categorical Allocations and Audit Resolution Office by email at jbriggs@cde.ca.gov [Note: the preceding staff contact and email address are no longer valid. Please contact the Categorical Allocations and Audit Resolution Office by email at CAAR@cde.ca.gov.].

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Dearstyne, Director
School Fiscal Services Division

ED:jkb