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# U.S. Department of Education Posts State Plans for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Students and the Safe and Sustained Reopening of Schools

# U.S. Department of Education Posts State Plans for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Students and the Safe and Sustained Reopening of Schools

June 14, 2021

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) posted  28 plans submitted by State Education  Agencies (SEAs) describing how states plan to use American Rescue Plan  Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds to  support schools, students and educators. The ARP ESSER Fund provides  nearly $122 billion to states to support the nation’s schools in safely  reopening and sustaining safe in-person operations while meeting the social, emotional,  mental health and academic needs of students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The release of the submitted plans comes shortly after new data  published by the Institute of Education Sciences found that, in  April, 59% of K-8 schools were offering in-person instruction full time, up  from 46% since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration.

“We’re thrilled to see that states are directing the  unprecedented resources from the American Rescue Plan toward addressing student  needs and quickly and safely reopening our schools, so we can give every  student the opportunity to learn full-time, in-person,” said U.S. Secretary of  Education Miguel Cardona. “These state plans make clear that the American Rescue  Plan is providing much-needed support to states and districts as they work to  not only bring students back to in-person learning, but also to address  inequities made worse by the pandemic and make sure every student has the  social, emotional, and mental health support they need to create a strong  foundation for academic success.”

In April, states received access to two-thirds of their ARP ESSER  allocation—a total of $81 billion. The remaining $41 billion will become  available following the Department’s approval of each state’s plan. Every plan will be reviewed by the Department to determine  whether it addresses published requirements, including seeking input from key  stakeholder groups and the public in the development of the plan, and  addressing the needs of students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19  pandemic, including students in underserved communities. The Department will  work with each state to revise its plan, as necessary, to meet all requirements  so that the Department can expeditiously release the remaining funds. While  these reviews are ongoing, the Department’s decision to post submitted plans  online will make it possible for the public—including families, educators, and  community-based organizations—to learn more about how states are planning to  use ARP ESSER funds. The Department also will post all approved state plans. 

The 28 plans include examples of how ARP  ESSER funds will provide critical support to schools and communities for safe  school reopening and operating efforts, and to meet the needs of students  disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including by addressing underlying  inequities in access and opportunity for underserved students. Highlights from  the plans include:

**Accelerating  and sustaining the safe return to in-person instruction:**It is the  Department’s expectation that all states and schools will provide every student  the opportunity to return to in-person instruction full-time this fall. For  example, New Jersey will provide state-level support for  school nurses and other school health staff in understanding and implementing  health and safety strategies for the return to in-person instruction. Tennessee released a template for school districts to  develop health and safety plans as they work to bring more students back to  in-person instruction and developed a data dashboard on school operating status  that it plans to continue to share publicly in the fall. 

**Implementing COVID-19  prevention and mitigation strategies, including expanding access to  vaccinations for school staff and students:**All plans described how states  are supporting their districts in prioritizing the safety of their students,  educators, and staff, including by implementing prevention policies in line  with the most up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention (CDC). Nine states detailed plans to prioritize vaccinations for  educators *and* students. For example, Ohio is encouraging schools to  offer eligible students the opportunity to get vaccinated during their extended  or summer learning programming and into the fall. In addition, Arkansas is  encouraging school districts to hold on-site vaccination clinics for students  and to provide excused absences for students who miss class because they are  getting vaccinated. ARP ESSER funds may be used by districts in these efforts. 

**Offering summer  learning and enrichment programs:**States are required to describe programs  to expand summer learning and enrichment opportunities for students, and many  of the plans specifically indicate that they will focus summer learning  opportunities on students who have been disproportionately impacted by the  pandemic. For example, New Mexico is setting up a $6 million joint program with  local municipalities to provide summer internships for middle and high school  students, using research on best practices for work-based learning.  Massachusetts will offer summer school matching grants for school districts to  offer four- to six-week, in-person summer programs that include mental health  services and additional supports for students with disabilities and  multilingual learners. Kansas will reserve a portion of funds for an initiative  that will offset the cost of admission for students to visit museums, zoos,  historical sites, state parks, and the Kansas state fair.

**Providing social,  emotional, and mental health support to students:**All states described plans  to expand social, emotional, and mental health supports for students. These  critical supports will ensure more students—particularly those in communities  disproportionately impacted by the pandemic—have access to counselors and  mental health services to address the traumas students have faced over the last  year and create a strong foundation for academic success. For example, Oklahoma  is using approximately $35 million for districts to hire new school counselors,  licensed mental health professionals and licensed recreational therapists to  lower the student-to-counselor ratio. The District of Columbia, in partnership  with its Department of Behavioral Health, is further expanding its  Comprehensive School-Based Behavioral Health System to provide more students  with access to clinical services in public schools. 

**Addressing the  academic impact of lost instructional time:**An important element of the ARP  ESSER state plans is the description of evidence-based interventions that  address the academic impact of lost instructional time by addressing students’  social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs—particularly for student  populations most impacted by the pandemic. For example, Arkansas’ Tutoring  Corps program will create a system to recruit, prepare, and support candidates  to become qualified tutors to support the students most impacted by lost  instructional time. Massachusetts will use federal funding to provide early  literacy tutoring grants and a K-8 Math Acceleration program. Montana is  planning to use ARP ESSER funding to provide additional professional  development for educators who serve in districts with significant populations  of American Indian students to facilitate culturally responsive instruction to  addressinequities exacerbated by the pandemic. Kentucky  is planning to support its schools and districts in creating acceleration plans  that provide students with more time and dedicated attention, and that focus on  immersing students in grade-level standards. And West Virginia will be  offering students with disabilities extended year services in conjunction with  summer programming, so students can participate in both sets of programs.

ARP ESSER state plans were submitted by the June 7 deadline by  Arkansas, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas,  Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire,  New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode  Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and  Wyoming. The Department is working closely with remaining states that did not  submit by the deadline, the vast majority of which were due to state board of  education or legislative review requirements.

The rigorous and prompt review of these state  plans is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader efforts to  help schools quickly and safely reopen for in-person instruction, sustain  their safe operations, and support educators and other school staff as they  meet all students’ social, emotional, mental health and academic needs. 

In addition to providing $122 billion to support  the safe and continued reopening of K-12 schools in the ARP ESSER Fund, the  Administration also has:
- Released  Volume 1 ,  Volume       2 , and  Volume 3  of the COVID-19 Handbook
- Released guidance on Maintenance of Effort and       Maintenance of Equity requirements and worked with states to ensure that       they fulfill these important responsibilities as they use federal funds,
- Held a  National       Safe School Reopening Summit , 
- Launched the  Safer       Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse , 
- Called on states to prioritize vaccinations for       educators and eligible students, and 
- Provided $10 billion in funding for COVID-19 testing       for PreK-12 educators, staff, and students.

Also, later this month, the Department will launch an  Equity Summit Series to help more states and  schools address inequities exacerbated by the pandemic and ensure every student  feels safe, supported, and set up for success in their classroom.
   -  Tags: American Rescue PlanCoronavirusPress Releases
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