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# U.S. Department of Education Approves Ohio's Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining $1.4 Billion To State

# U.S. Department of Education Approves Ohio's Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining $1.4 Billion To State

July 15, 2021

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -  	More Resources	Ohio Fact Sheet      
Today,  the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced the approval of Ohio's  American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP  ESSER) plan and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to them. Ohio'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. Ohio is receiving more than $4.4  billion total in ARP ESSER funds, and today's approval of their plan  will result in the release of the final $1.4 billion. Additionally,  the Department approved plans for Oregon, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and  Tennessee. Last week, the Department approved  the plans of six states and the  District of Columbia.

"I  am excited to announce approval of Ohio'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."

"Prior to the  pandemic, Ohio instituted a five-year strategic plan for education aimed at  challenging, preparing, and empowering each child for success," said Paolo  DeMaria, Ohio superintendent of public instruction. "While the pandemic caused  many disruptions and illuminated certain inequities, it also highlighted the  strengths of our plan. As a result, we've remained aligned to our vision,  goals, and priorities even as we've worked together to address pandemic-related  challenges. Now, with American Rescue Plan support, we can further our efforts  to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of students and educators  while ensuring schools have the resources they need to provide safe in-person  learning."

"Ohio students and  faculty deserve to go to school in a safe environment that facilitates growth  and prevents further learning loss," said Sen. Sherrod Brown. "For years, state  and federal governments haven't provided the necessary investments in our  school districts that have been put under further financial strain by the  ongoing pandemic. I'm glad to see the Biden-Harris Administration stepping up  to get resources to states that will allow students, especially those  disproportionately affected by the pandemic, back in the classroom ahead of the  new school year."

"As we recover  from the COVID-19 pandemic, it's critical we ensure our students have the  resources they need to safely return to the classroom. Not only have many  students experienced learning loss from the events of the past year, but many  are navigating new social and emotional challenges," said Rep. Tim Ryan. "It  should be our priority as a state to make sure Ohio's students have the support  they need as they return to the classroom this fall, and I'm proud to have  helped provide funding to do just that."

The  ARP ESSER state plans approved by the Department today, including Ohio, 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:
- Returning to In-Person Learning in 2021:  The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) anticipates continued efforts from the state's schools and districts toward offering safe, fully in-person learning to all students who desire it . 
- Supporting Students Most Impacted by the Pandemic:  ODE will use state-level data to identify and report trends for students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. ODE is building a multi-year plan to reach students impacted by the pandemic. Additionally, ODE requires each district to provide a description of how it is addressing the impact of the pandemic on particular groups of students. 
- Supporting Students' and Educators Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs:  ODE will prioritize trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices to meet students' academic, social and emotional needs when they reengage in learning during the summer and the 2021-2022 school year by responding to mental health data from the Ohio Healthy Youth Environments survey. Additionally, ODE is partnering with the Governor's office, the Ohio Department of Medicaid, and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to expand school-based services and increase behavioral and physical health supports for students. 

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.  
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