- Skip to main content
- About Us
- Contact Us
- FAQs
-  Language Assistance ****    - English
  - español
  - 中文: 繁體版
  - Việt-ngữ
  - 한국어
  - Tagalog
  - Русский 

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education

        - Student Loans
        - Grants
        - Laws
        - Data

# U.S. Department of Education Approves Arkansas’ Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining $418 Million

# U.S. Department of Education Approves Arkansas’ Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining $418 Million

July 15, 2021

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -  	More Resources	Arkansas Fact Sheet      
On Wednesday, July 7, the U.S. Department of Education  (Department) announced the approval of Arkansas’ American Rescue Plan  Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plans and  distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to them. Arkansas’ plan details how the  state is using and plan 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. Arkansas is receiving more than $1.2 billion total in  ARP ESSER funds, and today’s approval of their plan will result in  the release of the final $418 million. Additionally, the Department approved plans for South Dakota, Massachusetts, Utah, Texas, Rhode Island,  and the District of Columbia.

“I am excited to announce  approval of Arkansas’ 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.”;

“We  are pleased that Arkansas’ plan has been approved by the U.S. Department of  Education and are excited to develop new programs and expand existing  initiatives that will result in enhanced student learning,” Arkansas Department  of Education Secretary Johnny Key said. “The additional $1.2 billion in federal  funding will be used to support multiple educational opportunities, including  the expansion of mental and emotional health programs around the state and  address the academic impact of lost instructional time. We stand committed to  supporting school districts as they develop and implement these new programs.  Our goal is to increase student learning, as we strive to lead the nation in student-focused  education.”

The ARP ESSER state plans  approved by the Department today, including Arkansas, 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:  The state was able to successfully reopen all schools to in-person learning during the 2020-2021 school year by working with the Arkansas Department of Health to establish and implement statewide guidance. Each LEA was required to create its own       Ready for Learning plan that focused on the safe return to in-person instruction by outlining the LEA’s health and safety protocols and flexible options for student learning.
- Investing in Summer Learning and Expanded Afterschool Programs:  DESE will partner with Arkansas State University to support its Arkansas out-of-school network using ARP ESSER funds. This network will work to approve programs/activities that can include academic programs, specialty programs, social-emotional support programs, future-ready work opportunities, and multi-purpose  programs that provide an array of activities this summer and afterschool.       Additionally, the DESE partnered with Arkansas PBS at the end of the 2019-2020 school year and into summer of 2020 to provide grade band content developed by previous Arkansas Teachers of the Year paired with learning guides, and quality programming. This partnership will continue into summer 2021 and is slated to provide educational programs for elementary aged students to help with lost instructional time. These programs include content standards in addition to social,  emotional, and mental health material. Arkansas PBS will provide data regarding number of viewers and number of downloads of instructional materials for evaluation of the program.
- Addressing the Academic Impact of Lost Instructional Time:  Using American Rescue Plan funds, DESE created the Arkansas Tutoring Corps, which includes recruitment, preparation, and support for candidates to become qualified tutors to provide instruction or intervention to meet the academic needs of at-risk learners or students most impacted by lost instructional time. A system will connect prepared candidates with organizations seeking support students’       academic needs. The Arkansas Tutoring Corps project will enhance learning experiences of students due to loss of instructional time and address gaps in foundational skills in mathematics and literacy. 

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 is also 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  American Rescue Plan 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 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: ArkansasAmerican Rescue PlanPress Releases
          How Do I Find...?    - Student loans, forgiveness
- Higher Education Rulemaking
- College accreditation
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
- FERPA
- FAFSA
- 1098, tax forms
- More...
      Information About...    - Elevating Teaching
- Early Learning
- Engage Every Student
- Unlocking Career Success
- Cybersecurity
Search press releasesSearch for:      Find By Month    - February 2024 
- January 2024 
- December 2023 
- November 2023 
- October 2023 
- September 2023 
- August 2023 
- July 2023 
- June 2023 
- May 2023 
- April 2023 
- March 2023 
- All Press Releases
             
*Our mission* is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
- Student Loans
- Repaying Loans
- Defaulted Loans
- Loan Forgiveness
- Loan Servicers
- Grants & Programs
- Apply for Pell Grants
- Grants Forecast
- Apply for a Grant
- Laws & Guidance
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
- FERPA
- Civil Rights
- IDEA Website
- Data & Research
- Education Statistics
- Postsecondary Education Data
- ED Data Express
- Nation's Report Card
- What Works Clearinghouse
- Open Data Platform
- COVID Relief Data
- About Us
- Contact Us
- ED Offices
- Jobs
- Press Releases
- FAQs
- Recursos en español
- Budget, Performance
- Privacy Program
- Homeroom Blog
- Notices
- FOIA
- Privacy Policy
- Accessibility
- Security
- Information Quality
- Inspector General
- Whitehouse.gov
- USA.gov
- Benefits.gov
- Regulations.gov