DeVos Offers $3 Billion In Education Emergency Block Grants To Governors
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today that close to $3 billion is being made available to governors to “ensure education continues for students of all ages impacted by the coronavirus national emergency.”
The money will be given out in block grants, meaning that governors are, mostly, free to use it as they see fit. The requirements are relatively short, and the actual paperwork is pretty simple by government standards., with the stated intent of getting the money to states as quickly as possible.
The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund is a portion of the CARES Act, carved out of the $30.75 billion total outlay for education. GEER is divided between the states based on the state’s population aged 5 to 24 (60%) and on the Title I, Part A formula count (40%). Allocations range from $6.5 million for Alaska to $355 million for California.
In her cover letter to the governors, DeVos promises, “My Department will not micromanage how you spend these funds.” True to the promise to streamline the CONTINUE READING: DeVos Offers $3 Billion In Education Emergency Block Grants To Governors
