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The Immediate Aid to Restart Operations (Restart) program makes awards to eligible State educational agencies (SEAs), which in turn provide assistance or services to local educational agencies (LEAs) and non-public schools. The purpose of the program is to help defray expenses related to restarting operations, re-enrolling students, and reopening public or non-public elementary and secondary schools that serve an area affected by a covered disaster or emergency.
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Applicant Information
The Department is not accepting applications for this program at this time. This page will be updated to with new information for future applicants when funding is made available.
- Notice Inviting Applications (09/13/2019)
- State Educational Agency Application Package
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Grants
Under the 2019 Restart program, the Department awarded grants to eligible State educational agencies (SEAs) to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and non-public schools with expenses related to the restart of elementary and secondary schools affected by the consequences of Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Mangkhut, Super Typhoon Yutu, and wildfires, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions occurring in calendar year 2018 and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019 in those areas for which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5190).
| SEA Name | Final Award |
| California Department of Education | $16,507,145 |
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System | $9,385,574 |
| Florida Department of Education | $44,271,500 |
| Mississippi Department of Education | $186,450 |
| North Carolina Department of Public Instruction | $3,395,009 |
| Ohio Department of Education | $587,821 |
| Texas Education Agency | $25,445,162 |
| TOTAL | $99,778,661 |
2018 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Grants
2018 grantees received funds to assist with supporting LEAs and non-public schools impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, or the 2017 California wildfires for which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under Section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5191).
| SEA Name | Final Award |
| California Department of Education | $14,938,884 |
| Florida Department of Education | $84,470,000 |
| Puerto Rico Department of Education | $589,170,000 |
| Texas Education Agency | $89,420,000 |
| The United States Virgin Islands Department of Education | $13,100,000 |
| TOTAL | $791,098,884 |
The Department is not accepting applications for this program at this time. This page will be updated to reflect the eligibility criteria for future applicants when funding is made available.
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Program
The 2019 Restart program provides funding for education-related disaster recovery activities in response to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Mangkhut, and Super Typhoon Yutu. It also provides funding in response to wildfires, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occurring in calendar year 2018 and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019 in those areas for which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5191).
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Program List of Qualifying Disasters
- SEAs are eligible to apply for funding, under the Restart program to support the provisions of immediate assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and non-public schools in areas where a major disaster or emergency was declared. For the purpose of the definition, the areas of a covered disaster or emergency are the counties that FEMA designated as eligible for individual or public assistance, as a result of a Presidential declaration of a major disaster related to a covered disaster or emergency.
- For declared disasters and emergencies, occurring as a result of a tropical storm or hurricane but for which further declarations did not specify flooding or tornados, the identified areas in the declaration must have been impacted by flooding or tornados resulting from the covered weather event.
- This comprehensive list only identifies eligible disasters through September 20,2019. States may have newly identified eligible disasters for which they can apply through the close of the application period.
2019 Restart Qualifying Major Disasters or Emergency Declarations here.
Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations - Frequently Asked Questions (December 2019)
PDF Download (125K)
Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations - Frequently Asked Questions (April 2018)
PDF Download (117K)
This information is being provided for historic purposes.
- Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations - Answers to Questions About Restart (January 6, 2006)
MS WORD (53K) - Uses of Funds Under the Restart Program (February 1, 2006)
MS WORD (52K) - Allowable Uses of Restart Funds for Private Schools (April 24, 2006)MS WORD (68K)
- Frequently Asked Questions, 2018 Program (PDF)
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Program Authorization
Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019, P.L. 116-20 (June 06, 2019). In enacting this legislation, Congress directed the Department to implement, with some modifications, certain provisions of the Hurricane Education Recovery Act, P.L. 109-148 (HERA).
2018 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Program Authorization
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, P.L. 115-123 (February 9, 2018). In enacting this legislation, Congress directed the Department to implement, with some modifications, certain provisions of the Hurricane Education Recovery Act, P.L. 109-148 (HERA).
The following resources are meant to assist prospective and current grantees related to the 2019 Restart program. Any further questions can be directed to Molly Budman at molly.budman@ed.gov.
2019 Restart Grantee Introductory Webinar (Deck)
2019 Restart Grantee Introductory Webinar (Transcript)
The Immediate Aid to Restart Operations (Restart) program makes awards to eligible State educational agencies (SEAs), which in turn provide assistance or services to local educational agencies (LEAs) and non-public schools. The purpose of the program is to help defray expenses related to restarting operations, re-enrolling students, and reopening public or non-public elementary and secondary schools that serve an area affected by a covered disaster or emergency.
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Applicant Information
The Department is not accepting applications for this program at this time. This page will be updated to with new information for future applicants when funding is made available.
- Notice Inviting Applications (09/13/2019)
- State Educational Agency Application Package
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Grants
Under the 2019 Restart program, the Department awarded grants to eligible State educational agencies (SEAs) to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and non-public schools with expenses related to the restart of elementary and secondary schools affected by the consequences of Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Mangkhut, Super Typhoon Yutu, and wildfires, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions occurring in calendar year 2018 and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019 in those areas for which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5190).
| SEA Name | Final Award |
| California Department of Education | $16,507,145 |
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System | $9,385,574 |
| Florida Department of Education | $44,271,500 |
| Mississippi Department of Education | $186,450 |
| North Carolina Department of Public Instruction | $3,395,009 |
| Ohio Department of Education | $587,821 |
| Texas Education Agency | $25,445,162 |
| TOTAL | $99,778,661 |
2018 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Grants
2018 grantees received funds to assist with supporting LEAs and non-public schools impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, or the 2017 California wildfires for which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under Section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5191).
| SEA Name | Final Award |
| California Department of Education | $14,938,884 |
| Florida Department of Education | $84,470,000 |
| Puerto Rico Department of Education | $589,170,000 |
| Texas Education Agency | $89,420,000 |
| The United States Virgin Islands Department of Education | $13,100,000 |
| TOTAL | $791,098,884 |
The Department is not accepting applications for this program at this time. This page will be updated to reflect the eligibility criteria for future applicants when funding is made available.
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Program
The 2019 Restart program provides funding for education-related disaster recovery activities in response to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Mangkhut, and Super Typhoon Yutu. It also provides funding in response to wildfires, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occurring in calendar year 2018 and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019 in those areas for which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5191).
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Program List of Qualifying Disasters
- SEAs are eligible to apply for funding, under the Restart program to support the provisions of immediate assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and non-public schools in areas where a major disaster or emergency was declared. For the purpose of the definition, the areas of a covered disaster or emergency are the counties that FEMA designated as eligible for individual or public assistance, as a result of a Presidential declaration of a major disaster related to a covered disaster or emergency.
- For declared disasters and emergencies, occurring as a result of a tropical storm or hurricane but for which further declarations did not specify flooding or tornados, the identified areas in the declaration must have been impacted by flooding or tornados resulting from the covered weather event.
- This comprehensive list only identifies eligible disasters through September 20,2019. States may have newly identified eligible disasters for which they can apply through the close of the application period.
2019 Restart Qualifying Major Disasters or Emergency Declarations here.
Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations - Frequently Asked Questions (December 2019)
PDF Download (125K)
Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations - Frequently Asked Questions (April 2018)
PDF Download (117K)
This information is being provided for historic purposes.
- Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations - Answers to Questions About Restart (January 6, 2006)
MS WORD (53K) - Uses of Funds Under the Restart Program (February 1, 2006)
MS WORD (52K) - Allowable Uses of Restart Funds for Private Schools (April 24, 2006)MS WORD (68K)
- Frequently Asked Questions, 2018 Program (PDF)
2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Program Authorization
Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019, P.L. 116-20 (June 06, 2019). In enacting this legislation, Congress directed the Department to implement, with some modifications, certain provisions of the Hurricane Education Recovery Act, P.L. 109-148 (HERA).
2018 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations Program Authorization
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, P.L. 115-123 (February 9, 2018). In enacting this legislation, Congress directed the Department to implement, with some modifications, certain provisions of the Hurricane Education Recovery Act, P.L. 109-148 (HERA).
The following resources are meant to assist prospective and current grantees related to the 2019 Restart program. Any further questions can be directed to Molly Budman at molly.budman@ed.gov.
2019 Restart Grantee Introductory Webinar (Deck)
2019 Restart Grantee Introductory Webinar (Transcript)
The Disaster Recovery Unit supports those affected by natural disasters and coordinates disaster recover work with other agencies.