American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER III Use of Funds Plan
Bayard Public Schools
American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER III Use of Funds Plan
(Current Plan/Draft Subject to Change as Conditions Require)
American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER III Grant Allocation: $860,241
Fund Use
How funds will be used to implement prevention and mitigation strategies, consistent with the most recent CDC guidance, in order to continuously and safely open and operate schools for in-person learning.
American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER III Grant - Allowable and Planned Uses
2. Any activity authorized by the ESEA of 1965, including the Native Hawaiian Education Act and the Alaska Native Educational Equity, Support, and Assistance Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) (''IDEA''), the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) (''the Perkins Act''), or subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.).
Purchase of Curriculum and Assessment materials/products.
8. Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the facilities of a local educational agency, including buildings operated by such agency.
Supplies and small equipment (not capital assets) for cleaning/sanitizing facilities.
How the LEA will use the funds it reserves 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 after school programs, or extended school year (consistent with the requirement of the ARP Act that each LEA reserve at least 20 percent of its ARP ESSER funds for that purpose);
13. Addressing learning loss among students, including low-income students, children with disabilities. English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care, of the local educational agency, including by -
(A) Administering and using high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable, to accurately assess students' academic progess and assist educators in meeting students' academic needs, including through differentiating instruction.
(B) Implementing evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of students.
(C) Providing information and assistance to parents and families on how they can effectively support students, including in a distance learning environment.
(D) Tracking student attendance and improving student engagement in distance education.
Hiring a school mental health support professional to help address learning loss.
How the LEA will spend its remaining funds consistent with the ARP Act, and;
15. Inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities, including mechanical and non-mechanical heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, filtering, purification and other air cleaning, fans, control systems, and window and door repair and replacement.
Possible upgrades to windows and HVAC systems
16. Other activities that are necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services in local educational agencies and continuing to employ existing staff of the local educational agency.
Purchase of additional transportation (a large bus and a suburban)
Describe how the District engaged stakeholders in meaningful consultation on the Plan for Use of Fund. Answers must be detailed. Stakeholders must include, but are not limited to: students, families, school and district administrators (including special education administrators), teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff and their unions, Tribes, civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations), and stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities, English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, migratory students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved students
The district engaged stakeholders in the opportunity for meaningful consultation through a survey that was distributed via the school's "Remind" messaging system, shared at school board meetings, and posted on our school website. The following language was used in the process of soliciting meaningful consultation:
We Want Your Feedback!
Bayard Public Schools Students, Staff, Parents, Patrons, and General Public,
Our school has a chance to apply for some federal funds as part of the recent Congressional action including the CRRSA Act and the American Recovery Plan ACT. These funds are limited in time/scope, so we want to be sure we make quality investments for our students and community.
Please check out the list of allowable uses for these funds (ESSER II and ARP ESSER) at the following link:
https://cdn.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Allowable_Use_Comparisons_for_ESSER_I_-II_and_III_4.14.pdf
Once you have reviewed the allowable uses, please provide feedback via the following form regarding your ideas about how our school might make quality investments with these funds for our students: https://forms.gle/82hhNVf4ppmExvzs5
Thank you for your time and ideas.
Sincerely,
Dr. Travis W. Miller
Superintendent of Schools
3. A minimum of 20% of the allocation must be expended to address learning loss. Answer the following questions? Answers must be detailed.
a. How will 20% of the allocation be used to address student learning loss?
20% of the allocation will be used to employ at school mental health support professional. The cost of this person's employment to the district for the current year is $106,378. Over two years this cost will be at least $212,756, which is over 20% of our district's total allocation. This staff member has experience with MTSS and is a social worker and a provisionally licensed mental health provider with prior experiences as a counselor in an elementary school in a nearby community. We have significant mental health challenges for our students, and this staff member will be providing supports at tier I, II, and III to help our school district recover from the learning loss of the pandemic, especially that learning loss which is impacted by toxic stress.
e. How are these resources providing support for students that missed instructional time?
This person will provide support in the buildings on a daily basis, addressing the various issues that have caused students to miss instructional time during the pandemic.
How the LEA will ensure that the interventions that are implemented will address the academic impact of lost instruction time and will respond to the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students; including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and migratory students.
f. How are these resources providing support for students that have been historically marginalized? (ie: students of color, students who are economically disadvantaged, English learners, and students with disabilities).
This position is likely to be especially helpful to students who have been historically marginalized, as these are often the students will the least access to the types of resources and services this person will be providing in our school district.