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# How the U.S. Department of Education is Helping Schools Reopen Safely and Meet the Needs of Students

# How the U.S. Department of Education is Helping Schools Reopen Safely and Meet the Needs of Students

March 23, 2021

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
COVID-19  has been devastating for students and families. Despite heroic work by  educators, staff, and families, the pandemic has led to increased absences,  interruptions in learning opportunities and outcomes, more hungry kids and  families, and more social isolation. The pandemic has exacerbated existing  inequities for students from low-income backgrounds; Black, Latino, Asian, and  Native American students; English learners; students with disabilities; students  experiencing homelessness; and migratory students. That’s why the Biden-Harris  Administration has launched an aggressive strategy to help schools reopen  safely and equitably, maximize in-person instruction time, and address the  academic, social, and emotional needs of students, including expanding  opportunities for underserved students.

Tomorrow,  the Department of Education is holding a National Safe School Reopening Summit,  where school districts can learn virtually from one another on successful  reopening strategies and how best to close gaps in educational opportunities as  they reopen their doors and get students back in the classroom. The  Biden-Harris Administration has taken several steps to advance the President’s  goal of reopening the majority of K-8 schools within the first 100 days of his  administration:

**Invested  $130 billion through the American Rescue Plan to help K-12 schools open quickly  and safely, and serve all students**
- The       American Rescue Plan gives states and schools the resources and financial       stability and certainty they need to close budget holes and avoid       lay-offs, implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC)       recommended mitigation strategies, and work to close the gaps in       opportunity that COVID-19 has expanded. The funds in the American Rescue       Plan will enable schools to reopen safely and maintain safe in-person       instruction; support students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental       health needs; and advance educational equity. Last week, the Department       announced the amount of funding each state will receive from the nearly       $122 billion American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School       Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds, and that those funds will begin to be       distributed this month.
- To       make and keep our schools safe, funds can be used to implement COVID-19       mitigation strategies, hire custodians and nurses, provide Personal       Protective Equipment (PPE) to staff and students who need it, improve       ventilation, and invest in other strategies to keep students and staff safe.
- The       American Rescue Plan goes further by ensuring schools have the resources       they need to address the academic, social and emotional needs of students,       particularly for underserved students and those disproportionately       impacted by the pandemic, including students from low-income backgrounds,       students of color, students with disabilities, English learners, students       experiencing homelessness, migratory students, and students with       inadequate access to technology. Resources can be used to hire counselors;       provide extended learning time, summer learning and enrichment programs,       tutoring, and afterschool; and invest in other evidence-based strategies       that accelerate learning while addressing the significant social and       emotional needs of students.

**Partnered  with the Department of Health and Human Services to keep students, teachers,  and school staff safe**

*Released  Volume 1 of the COVID-19 Handbook*
- In       February, the Department released Volume 1 of the COVID-19 Handbook, which       provides educators and staff with practical examples, roadmaps, and tools       to implement the CDC’s K-12 operational strategy for in-person learning,       including the recommended five key mitigation measures  ( Universal       and correct use of  masks ;  Physical distancing ;  Handwashing and respiratory etiquette ;  Cleaning  and maintaining healthy       facilities;  Contact tracing  in combination with       isolation and quarantine). The Department will release Volume 2 of the       Handbook next month, which will focus on additional evidence-based       strategies to address the impact of COVID-19 on students, educators, and       staff, especially for underserved students and communities that have been       hit hardest by the pandemic.

*Prioritized  vaccinations of educators and school staff, and directed $10 billion in funding  for screening testing at K-12 schools to ensure schools can reopen and stay  open safely*
- Earlier       this month, President Biden directed all U.S. states and territories to       prioritize vaccinations of teachers and staff in Pre-K-12 schools and       childcare providers, with the goal of providing these frontline essential       workers with at least one dose of a vaccine by the end of March. Last       week, the Department of Health and Human Services also announced that CDC       would provide $10 billion in funding for COVID-19 screening testing for       teachers, staff, and students in K-12 schools. By expanding access to       vaccinations and testing for educators and school staff, more schools will       be able to safely and quickly reopen, and more students, particularly       those in underserved and under-resourced communities, will be able to       return to in-person instruction.

**Launched  a “Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse” and webinar series.**

The Clearinghouse will highlight  lessons learned and best practices that can help schools and districts best use  American Rescue Plan funds to meet their students’ unique needs. The  Clearinghouse will include resources that not only help schools prepare for and  sustain in-person operations safely but also will help schools meet students’  social, emotional, mental health, academic, and other needs, including access  to food and other basic needs that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The  Clearinghouse will also include resources on strategies to address the trauma  that students, teachers, faculty, and staff have endured during the pandemic  and the resulting economic, mental health, and emotional impacts.

Tomorrow’s  summit will include remarks by President Biden and Vice President Harris,  welcome remarks by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and remarks by Secretary of  Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. Attendees  will also hear from Learning Policy Institute President and CEO Dr. Linda  Darling-Hammond, students, educators, and representatives from districts across  the country. During the Summit, participants will discuss successful reopening  plans and how to use American Rescue Plan funds to implement CDC’s recommended  mitigation strategies, close gaps in educational opportunities for underserved  students who have been most impacted by the pandemic, and address the social and  emotional needs of students. The Summit will be livestreamed on the Department of Education’s YouTube channel.
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