Anide Eustache

Summary:  On Thursday, March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law. It is an unprecedented $1.9 trillion package of assistance measures, including $122 billion for the ARP Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund. Funds are provided to State educational agencies and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Nation’s students.   The District submitted its plan on December 1, 2021.  More information for NJ can be found here:  https://www.nj.gov/education/esser/arp/

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American Rescue Grant ESSER Plan for Use of Funds 

1. The extent to which and how the funds will be used to implement prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent practicable, consistent with the most recent CDC guidance on reopening schools, in order to continuously and safely open and operate schools for in-person learning;

• The District will continue to follow the CDC’s guidance to the fullest. Our protocols and procedures directly correlate with the CDC’s guidelines and are reflected in our Safe Return handbook for the public to see.

2. How the LEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act to address the academic impact of lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended school year;

• All of our academic supports, including summer and after-school programs, will be directly connected to the data that we collect; Start Strong, and District assessments.

3. How the LEA will spend its remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent with section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act;

• The remainder of the grant funds will be spent on professional development, replacement supplies, increase tech infrastructure, social-emotional supports, and support staff. 

4. How the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements, including but not limited to the interventions implemented under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act to address the academic impact of lost instructional time, will respond to the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students, and particularly those students disproportionately impacted by the COVID19 pandemic, including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and migratory students. Under this requirement, an LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders and give the public an opportunity to provide input in the development of its plan. Specifically, an LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with students; families; school and district administrators (including special education administrators); and teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and their unions. ([count] of 2000 maximum characters used)

•  The District will continue to review assessment and survey data at the District level and then will break down the information to a more granular level by looking at demographics. We will continue to reach out to stakeholders for information and meet with our task force team to plan. 

5. Additionally, an LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with each of the following, to the extent present in or served by the LEA: Tribes; civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations); and stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities, English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, migratory students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved students. 

• We will continue to reach out to these subgroups through, meetings, emails, and surveys.