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# U.S. Department of Education Approves West Virginia’s Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining $254 Million To State

# U.S. Department of Education Approves West Virginia’s Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining $254 Million To State

July 15, 2021

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -  	More Resources	West Virginia Fact Sheet      
Today, the U.S.  Department of Education (Department) announced the approval of West Virginia's  American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP  ESSER) plan and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to them. West Virginia's  plan details how the state is using and plans to use ARP ESSER funds to safely  reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and equitably expand  opportunity for students who need it most, particularly those most impacted by  the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year,  the Department distributed two thirds of the ARP ESSER funds, totaling $81  billion, to 50 states and the District of Columbia. The remaining third of the  funding to states will be made available once state plans are  approved. West Virginia is receiving more than $761 million total in ARP  ESSER funds, and today's approval of their plan will result in the release  of the final $254 million. Additionally, the Department approved  plans for Oregon, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Ohio. Last week, the Department approved the plans for six states and the District of  Columbia.

"I am excited to announce approval of West Virginia's  plan," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "It is  heartening to see, reflected in these state plans, the ways in  which states are thinking deeply about how to use American Rescue  Plan funds to continue to provide critical support to schools and  communities, particularly as we move into the summer and look ahead to the  upcoming academic year. The approval of these plans  enables states to receive vital, additional American Rescue Plan  funds to quickly and safely reopen schools for full-time, in-person learning;  meet students' academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs; and  address disparities in access to educational opportunity that were exacerbated  by the coronavirus pandemic. The state plans that have been submitted to  the Department lay the groundwork for the ways in which an unprecedented  infusion of federal resources will be used to address the urgent needs of  America's children and build back better."

"West Virginia's  students will benefit greatly from the ARP ESSER funds," said State Superintendent  of Schools Clayton Burch. "Specifically, we are focused on making sure that  students and staff have the supports they need to 1) recover from the social  and emotional distress caused or heightened by the pandemic and 2) regain  learning momentum that was negatively impacted by disruptions to in-person  learning."

"After the last  year of the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented changes, West Virginia students  deserve to return to safe, supportive schools in the fall," said Sen. Joe  Manchin. "The American Rescue Plan provides West Virginia schools with more  than $760 million to safely open our schools and help our students catch up  after the last year. I am pleased the Department of Education has approved West  Virginia's plan for these funds and look forward to seeing the positive impacts  for our students."

The  ARP ESSER state plans approved by the Department today, including West  Virginia, show how states are using federal pandemic resources to support safe  in-person instruction and meet the social, emotional, mental health, and  academic needs of students—with a focus on the students most impacted by the  pandemic. For example:
- Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining Safe Operations:  In preparation of the 2020-2021 school year, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) developed a Roadmap-to-Recovery that outlines the rules under which schools operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Roadmap document has been updated regularly and is available for public comment now. West Virginia began a campaign encouraging high school students to get vaccinated in April 2021, which included hosting student vaccination clinics and engaging students and families on social media and will continue into the fall of 2021. 
- Addressing the Academic Impact of Lost Instructional Time:   Districts in West Virginia will implement evidence-based interventions to address the impact of lost instructional time on students, including meeting the needs of students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. WVDE also will support its districts by expanding state Technical Assistance Centers (TACs), which will support these interventions through professional development programs.  WVDE will bolster three existing TACs by establishing two additional TACs using ARP ESSER funds, which will focus on grades 6-12 STEM and student support and wellbeing. 

A total  of 40 states have submitted their ARP ESSER state plans to the  Department. The Department is reviewing the plans expeditiously and is in  contact with states to ensure their plans meet all necessary requirements in  order to access the remaining funds, as outlined in the ARP. The Department  also is in contact with states that have not yet submitted plans, the vast majority of which are due to state board of  education or legislative review requirements.

The  distribution of ARP ESSER funds is part of the Department's broader effort to  support students and districts as they work to reengage students impacted by  the pandemic, address inequities exacerbated by COVID-19, and build our  education system back better than before. In addition to providing $130 billion  for K-12 education in the ARP to support the safe reopening of K-12 schools and  meet the needs of all students, the Biden-Harris Administration also has:
- Released three  volumes of the COVID-19 Handbook. 
- Held a  National Safe School Reopening Summit .
- Prioritized the vaccination of educators, school staff and child care workers. As of the end of May, an estimated 84% of teachers and school staff were fully vaccinated. 
- Provided $10 billion in funding for COVID-19 testing for PreK-12 educators, staff, and students. 
- Launched a series of Equity Summits focused on addressing inequities that existed before but were made worse by the pandemic. 
- Released a  report on the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on underserved communities.
- Developed a  Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse elevating hundreds of best practices to support schools' efforts to reopen safely and address the impacts of COVID-19 on students, educators, and communities.

In addition to the  actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to reopen schools, the  President has proposed critical investments through his Build Back Better  agenda that will enable schools to rebuild stronger than they were before the  pandemic, such as investing billions to build a diverse educator workforce,  expand access to pre-K to all families, and invest in school infrastructure,  among other provisions. 
   -  Tags: West VirginiaAmerican Rescue PlanPress Releases
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