$122 billion from
the American Rescue Plan will help achieve President Biden’s goal to
open the majority of K-8 schools within his first 100 days in office
Today, less than a week after President Biden signed the
American Rescue Plan (ARP), the U.S. Department of Education
(Department) announced the amount of ARP Elementary and Secondary
School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding that each State, Puerto
Rico, and the District of Columbia will receive to support their
efforts to reopen K-12 schools safely this month and equitably
expand opportunity for students who need it most. Secretary of
Education Miguel Cardona delivered the news directly to state
education commissioners in a letter issued today and said the
Department will begin to make these funds available to state
educational agencies (SEAs) this month. The announcement coincides
with the Department of Health and Human Services’ announcement that
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide
$10 billion to states to support COVID-19 screening testing for K-12
teachers, staff, and students in schools, and marks swift action by
the Biden-Harris Administration to meet the President’s goal of
safely reopening the majority of K-8 schools within the first 100
days of his administration.
"This pandemic has taken an extraordinary toll on students,
parents, educators, and schools, and we know that our schools,
students, and communities need help now to reopen safely and
quickly, and to stay open,” said Secretary of Education Miguel
Cardona. “These funds from the American Rescue Plan and the
extraordinary steps the Department is taking to get these resources
to states quickly will allow schools to invest in mitigation
strategies to get students back in the classroom and stay there, and
address the many impacts this pandemic has had on
students—especially those disproportionately impacted by the
pandemic.”
The Department announced the allocation that each SEA will receive
under the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund, totaling $122 billion in relief
for K-12 schools. The Department will begin to make these funds
available this month so that they may act to fund health and safety
measures consistent with CDC guidance, address the disruptions to
teaching and learning resulting from the pandemic—especially for
students hardest hit by the pandemic—and get students back in the
classroom quickly and safely.
In his letter, Secretary Cardona urged states and school
districts to utilize these funds with the same sense of urgency the
President and Congress used to pass the American Rescue Plan Act and
with the same commitment that families and educators have to getting
students back in classrooms for in-person instruction safely.
The ARP ESSER funds may be used to address the many impacts
of COVID-19 on pre-K through 12 education, including:
-Investing in resources to implement CDC’s K-12 operational strategy
for in-person learning to keep educators, staff, and students safe;
improving ventilation; purchasing personal protective equipment
(PPE); and obtaining additional space to ensure social distancing in
classrooms.
-Avoiding devastating layoffs and hiring additional educators to
address learning loss, providing support to students and existing
staff, and providing sufficient staffing to facilitate social
distancing.
-Implementing strategies to meet the social, emotional, mental
health, and academic needs of students hit hardest by the pandemic,
including through evidence-based interventions and critical services
like community schools.
-Funding crucial summer, afterschool, and other extended learning
and enrichment programs.
-Hiring additional school personnel, such as nurses and custodial
staff, to keep schools safe and healthy.
-Providing for social distancing and safety protocols on buses.
-Funding for Wi-Fi hotspots and devices for students without
connectivity for remote learning and supporting educators in the
effective use of technology; and
-Additional uses as allowed in the statute.
Secretary Cardona also underscored the importance of advancing
equity in states’ efforts to reopen schools quickly and safely. The
Secretary encouraged states to make sure students who have been hit
hardest by COVID-19 are provided with the resources and support they
need to emerge from this pandemic stronger. American Rescue Plan
funds can be used by SEAs and school districts to equitably expand
opportunities for students who need the funds most, including
students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students
with disabilities, English learners, students experiencing
homelessness, and students with inadequate access to technology.
Secretary Cardona also reaffirmed the Department’s ongoing
commitment to providing technical assistance, guidance, and best
practices to states as they work to utilize these funds.
The below table outlines the amount of funding each SEA will
receive from the ARP ESSER Fund. Additional information, including
an ARP ESSER Fact Sheet and allocation tables, can be found at
https://oese.gov/american-rescue-plan-elementary-and-secondary-school-emergency-relief.
These funding levels do not include
the $10 billion in funding HHS will invest for screening testing to
help schools reopen.
In addition to the ARP ESSER funding for states, the American Rescue
Plan includes $7.6 billion for special education, children and youth
experiencing homelessness, Tribal educational agencies, Native
Hawaiians, and Alaska Natives, emergency assistance to non-public
schools, and the Outlying Areas (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), as
well as $40 billion for higher education. |
