We have now received guidance from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) concerning the American Rescue Plan funds.  Please see the description of what is allowed as we decide how we allocate the ARP ESSER Funds.

While ARP ESSER requires that a minimum of 20 percent of the LEA’s allocation be spent to address the students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs due to the effects of lost instructional time, the remaining LEA funds may be used for a wide range of activities to address needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic. Allowable activities for the remaining funds under ARP ESSER include, but are not limited to:

1.Any activity authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), or Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins CTE). Specifically, ESSER III funds may be develop strategies and implement public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the CDC on reopening and operating schools to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff, as well as:

2.Coordinating preparedness and response efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19;

3.Training and professional development on sanitizing and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases;

4.Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the LEA’s facilities;

5.Repairing and improving school facilities to reduce risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards;

6.Improving indoor air quality;  

7.Addressing the needs of children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth;

8.Developing and implementing procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of LEAs;

9.Planning for or implementing activities during long-term closures, including providing meals to eligible students and providing technology for online learning;

10.Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, connectivity, assistive technology, and adaptive equipment) for students that aid in regular and substantive educational interaction between students and their classroom instructors, including students from low-income families and children with disabilities;

11.Providing mental health services and supports, including through the implementation of evidence-based full-service community schools and the hiring of counselors;

12.Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and supplemental afterschool programs;

13.Addressing learning loss; and  

14.Other activities that are necessary to maintain operation of and continuity of services, including continuing to employ existing or hiring new school staff.

Please fill out the following survey to help us prioritize how to best serve our student population.