The Administration recommends that the Board of Education, acting in its capacity as Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Intermediate Unit No. 26 (IU 26), authorize IU 26, through the Executive Director or his designee, to execute and perform contracts, subject to funding, as follows:
With:
Catapult Learning, LLC
CORA Services, Inc.
Elwyn of Pennsylvania and Delaware
FACTS Education Solutions, LLC
Learn It Systems, LLC
Purpose: To help non-public schools cope with the impacts of COVID-19
Start Date: 7/1/2021
End Date: 9/30/2023
Compensation not to exceed: All entities paid out of the aggregate amount not to exceed $50,000,000.
Location(s):
Non-Public School Programs
Description:
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The Act authorized the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) Program, which is part of the Act’s Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. The purpose of the EANS program is to provide services or assistance to eligible non-public schools to address educational disruptions caused by COVID-19. By creating a separate reservation of funds for this purpose, Congress reiterated the need for non-public schools to participate in emergency education relief programs, rather than relying on the equitable services requirements that typically apply to elementary and secondary formula grant programs. Consequently, LEAs are not required to provide equitable services with funds received under the CRRSA Act. The expected outcome of these services is to help non-public schools cope with the impacts of COVID-19.
Under the EANS program, the United States Department of Education (ED) awards grants by formula to each Governor with an approved Certification and Agreement to provide services or assistance to eligible non-public schools. In accepting an EANS award, a Governor designates the State Educational Agency (SEA) to administer the program. To receive services or assistance, an eligible non-public school must submit an application to the SEA. At this time, the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) plan for administering the program is being developed. Responsibility for implementing the program may be delegate to the IUs. If the IUs are delegated responsibility for implementing the EANS program and non-public schools in IU 26 need services, those services will be provided using the same contractors competitively selected to provide services to the non-public schools.
Funding Source(s):
FY22 Federal Categorical