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# U.S. Department of Education Approves Delaware’s Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining $137 Million To State

# U.S. Department of Education Approves Delaware’s Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining $137 Million To State

July 22, 2021

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -  	More Resources	Delaware Fact Sheet      
Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced the  approval of Delaware’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School  Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plan and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to  them. Delaware’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. Delaware is receiving more than $410 million total in ARP ESSER  funds, and today’s approval of their plan will result in the release  of the final $137 million. Additionally, the Department approved  plans for Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, and New Mexico. Earlier this month, the  Department approved the plans for 11 other states and the District of Columbia.

“I  am excited to announce approval of Delaware’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.”

“I  am grateful for Secretary Cardona’s and his team’s support of Delaware’s plan.  Our students and educators are excited to return to school this fall. These  funds will help our schools provide the structures and supports to meet  students’ academic and social/emotional needs,” Delaware Secretary of Education  Susan Bunting said.

“As  we were working to craft the American Rescue Plan, a top priority was ensuring  that our schools, teachers, students, and families had the resources they need  to address learning loss and return to school safely,” said U.S. Sen. Tom  Carper. “I am hopeful that with these federal funds from the American Rescue  Plan, Delaware will be on track to meet the needs of our First State  communities, from school leadership to educators to students and their  families.”

The ARP ESSER state plans approved by the Department today,  including Delaware, 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:
- Addressing the Academic Impact of Lost Instructional       Time:  The Delaware Department of       Education (DDOE) has identified a number of evidence-based interventions       for which it may use ARP ESSER funds, which will be refined and finalized       after further discussions with DDOE staff, local educational agencies,       community organizations, and additional stakeholders. The funds may be       used for designating ESSER funds to engage students who have missed the       most instruction, providing educators with professional learning to most       effectively use data to meet student needs, providing access to student       and family supports in families’ home languages, focusing on mental health       literacy, and providing additional supports and counseling. 
- Investing in Summer Learning and Expanded Afterschool       Programs:  DDOE has identified a number of       evidence-based interventions for which it may use ARP ESSER funds this       summer (2021), which will include high-dosage tutoring, expanding online       reading platforms, and expanding access to high-quality instructional       materials.  
- Supporting Students’ and Educators’ Social, Emotional,       and Mental Health Needs:  DDOE will extend its Social, Emotional and Behavioral Wellbeing plan       (SEBW) to provide districts and schools with support and resources to       identify and provide interventions to students who may be experiencing       mental health challenges. The SEBW plan also demonstrates how schools can       use current and new support staff alongside strategic system approaches to       strengthen social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing.

A  total of 41 states and the District of Columbia 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 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: DelawareAmerican Rescue PlanPress Releases
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