In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, was signed into law. The bill dedicated $13.2 billion for K-12 schools through the Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief Fund (ESSERF). HISD is eligible to apply for ESSERF grant funds under the CARES Act.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released the entitlements for HISD under the CARES Act, ESSERF. These are not additional funds to HISD, they are being used to offset the loss of average daily attendance (ADA) through the Foundation School Program (FSP) under Texas school finance.

The CARES Act, ESSERF grant funds application must be submitted to TEA by Monday, August 24, 2020. HISD’s entitlement for CARES Act, ESSERF, is projected to be $81,721,075.

The public has the opportunity to provide feedback on how the district utilizes ESSERF grant funds allocated under the CARES Act. You can access a survey to provide feedback here. The survey will close on July 8.