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Meeting Date:
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8/3/2021 - 7:00 PM
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Category:
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New Business and Reports to the Board
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Type:
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Info
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Subject:
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American Rescue Plan: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund III
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ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan Goal:
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Goal 1: Systemic Alignment ACPS will build a culture of continuous improvement and design equitable systems for school and instructional improvement. Goal 2: Instructional Excellence ACPS will ensure that all students have access to and engagement with high-quality instruction. Goal 3: Student Accessibility and Support ACPS will ensure students have equitable access to and engagement with programs and supports that reduce barriers to learning. Goal 4: Strategic Resource Allocation ACPS will strategically provide differentiated resources and supports to schools and departments. Goal 5: Family and Community Engagement ACPS will ensure that all families and community members feel welcomed, respected, and valued.
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Funding Source or Fiscal Impact (where applicable)
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File Attachment:
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Agenda Item Summary:
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As we continue our journey to recover from the pandemic, while keeping our students’ and staffs’ safety in the forefront, ACPS is approaching the 2021-22 School Year with the mission to “Recover, Retain and Reignite” our community. It is through this lens that we developed our American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Fund Plan for Public Comment. In addition to seeking feedback on our plan, we are hoping that our Public Hearing will provide a venue to gather new ideas and uncover additional unaddressed needs so that we can best tailor our plan to our Alexandria community.
ACPS has received several federally funded programs that have been authorized to support public and non-public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The overarching purpose of these programs is to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools in Virginia. ACPS Federal COVID-19 Relief Funding has, so far, been estimated at approximately $56.7 million. The ARP ESSER III Fund allocations for ACPS is $34.8 million. The allocation is based on ACPS’ relative share of Title I, Part A, Federal Fiscal Year 2020 funds.
Our ARP ESSER III funds will be used to drive the goals outlined in our Strategic Plan ACPS 2025: Equity for All and the plans outlined in our Continuity of Learning Plan 6.0 Fall 2021 Reopening Playbook. We will ensure that students are engaged in classroom instruction, utilize educational resources needed to enhance their learning, and participate while in safe, friendly, and welcoming learning environments. We are committing funds to division-wide priorities and programs that will eliminate opportunity and achievement gaps as well as ensure that all students graduate ready for college, military service, careers and life.
Our ARP ESSER III plan is based on the outputs of our four Focus Area teams, who are working collaboratively to identify specific initiatives that complement and extend successful strategies in place throughout ACPS schools and our community. These teams include: Social, Emotional Support and Equity, Academic Learning; Technology Infrastructure; COVID-19 Mitigation Projects; and our Human Capital Needs. These teams have been meeting, prioritizing, planning, and preparing to release our plan on July 29, 2021 and to solicit public comment at our upcoming Public Hearing on August 3, 2021. It is our intent to submit the ACPS application on August 25, 2021, prior to the September 1, 2021 deadline.
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Background:
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The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021. Virginia’s ARPA Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III award was $2.1 billion, with 90 percent of this award to be distributed to local educational agencies (LEAs) based on each LEA’s relative share of Title I, Part A, FFY 2020 funds.
ACPS will receive approximately $34.8M in funding through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III grant program. The purpose of the ARP ESSER III Fund is to help reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools, as well as to address the impacts of COVID-19 on students’ social, emotional, academic and mental health needs.
ACPS is required to develop and make publicly available a Plan for the Safe Return to In-person Instruction and Continuity of Services and the ARP ESSER III Plan (refer to ACPS’ Continuity of Learning Plan 6.0). In developing the ARP ESSER III Plan, the Division must conduct consultation with stakeholders, seeking and considering public input.
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Recommendation:
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The Superintendent recommends that the School Board review the ESSER III Proposal Board Presentation and elicit public engagement during the Public Hearing.
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Approvals:
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Recommended By:
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Signed By:
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Dr. Terri H. Mozingo - Chief Academic Officer
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Signed By:
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Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. - Superintendent
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