EANS (Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools)

  • Metro ECSU is the lead agency on these funds.  Anyone in the NW Service Cooperative region with questions should contact them.  Further information to the right is taken from the Metro website.  Any forms or pdfs are available on the Metro website. 

  • Metro ECSU is the fiscal host for the federal EANS funds. EANS funds are available to non public schools to address education disruptions caused by COVID-19. To receive financial services or assistance, an eligible nonpublic school must have submitted an application to MDE and have been approved.

    To comply with the requirement that MDE, or another public agency, must control funds for services or assistance to nonpublic schools and teachers under the EANS program (CRRSA Act section 312(d)(7)), Metro ECSU shall administer the program for MDE.

    Schools receiving funding should expect to be audited. Schools will need to be able to provide documentation showing that services and goods purchased are their schools response to the COVID crisis.

    All services and goods must be secular, neutral and non-ideological.

    EANS funds may be used to:

    1. Provide reimbursements to non public schools for allowable expenses (pdf available on Metro site) incurred after March 13, 2020. Any of the following cooperative purchasing programs can help save you time and money in your procurement process for future expense. Simply use any of the hundreds of competitively bid and awarded contracts available for you to purchase equipment, products and services. View the contracts offered through each program below:
    2. Establish contracts for allowable services and assistance. Metro ECSU, in coordination with other Minnesota Regional Service Cooperatives, shall establish service contracts for the nonpublic schools. For those contracts entered into on behalf of nonpublic schools, Metro ECSU or other Minnesota Regional Service Cooperatives may apply a 7.5% indirect charge to each service contract. The indirect charge will come out of the amount allocated for individual schools.

    How to receive reimbursement for previous expenses:

    1. Complete the reimbursement form. (Brightworks formerly Metro)
    2. Metro ECSU will review each requested reimbursement for eligibility under the EANS program’s allowable services and assistance. For those items that are refused, Metro ECSU shall provide the reason for the refusal to the school. Schools will be allowed to appeal the refusal to the MDE AR who is also the EANS Program Manager.

    “How to request reimbursement for future purchases and contracts for direct services:

    1. Complete the form for contracts. (Form available on Metro site.)
      Be sure all information is filled in.
    2. Information that will be requested includes but is not limited to:
      1. Name of school
      2. Signature of authorized representative of school
      3. Category for which the reimbursement is requested
      4. Description of item(s)
      5. Quantity of item(s)
      6. Amount of each item(s)
      7. Date item(s) purchased
      8. Documentation relating to the purchase to include, but is not limited to:
        1. Invoice
        2. Receipt
        3. Brand Name(s)
        4. Model Number(s)
        5. Serial Number(s)

    Contact Information

    For questions related to reimbursement of expenses or contracts for direct services contact:

    Tom Wieczorek, Business Manager
    eansreimbursement@metroecsu.org, 612-638-1504