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Fiscal Report
Public Education's Point of Reference for Making Educated Decisions

ED Issues Updated Equitable Services Guidance for CARES Act Dollars

Last month, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it had dropped its controversial July 1, 2020, Interim Final Rule that applied new equitable services calculations for specified Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds due to an order by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to vacate the rule (see “ED Drops Controversial Equitable Services Calculation for CARES Act Funds” in the September 2020 Fiscal Report). 

Since the ED has decided not to appeal the court order, it issued updated equitable services guidance on October 9, 2020, which primarily acts as an update to the April 30 guidance issued before the rule and suggests that local educational agencies calculate the equitable services set aside in the same manner as provided under section 1117 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Title I).

You can find the ED’s updated guidance here