• ESSER Fund Allocation - Community Feedback Sought


    The Central Bucks School District will be applying for funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). ARP funds may be utilized for allowable costs dating back to March 13, 2020 and is available for obligation through September 30, 2024.

    As an integral component of the legislation, ARP ESSER requires that applicants engage in meaningful consultation and solicit feedback from the stakeholders in the community (students, parents, teachers and staff, and other members of the community) in the development of the applicant’s plan for the use of the funds.

    Section 2001(e) of the ARP Act, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), allows for a wide range of costs to be considered for this funding, as follows: (e) USES OF FUNDS.—A local educational agency that receives funds under this section— (1) shall reserve not less than 20 percent of such funds to address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended school year programs, and ensure that such interventions respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs and address the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on the student subgroups described in section 1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.6311(b)(2)(B)(xi), students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care; and (2) shall use the remaining funds for any of the following:

    • (A) Any activity authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
    • (B) Any activity authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
    • (C) Any activity authorized by the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act,
    • (D) Any activity authorized by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006,
    • (E) Coordination of preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies with State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments, and other relevant agencies, to improve coordinated responses among such entities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
    • (F) Activities to address the unique needs of low-income children or students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth, including how outreach and service delivery will meet the needs of each population.
    • (G) Developing and implementing procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies.
    • (H) Training and professional development for staff of the local educational agency on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases.
    • (I) Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the facilities of a local educational agency, including buildings operated by such agency.
    • (J) Planning for, coordinating, and implementing activities during long-term closures, including providing meals to eligible students, providing technology for online learning to all students, providing guidance for carrying out requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and ensuring other educational services can continue to be provided consistent with all federal, state, and local requirements.
    • (K) Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, and connectivity) for students who are served by the local educational agency that aids in regular and substantive educational interaction between students and their classroom instructors, including low-income students and children with disabilities, which may include assistive technology or adaptive equipment.
    • (L) Providing mental health services and supports, including through the implementation of evidence based full-service community schools.
    • (M) Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and supplemental afterschool programs, including providing classroom instruction or online learning during the summer months and addressing the needs of low-income students, children with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
    • (N) Addressing learning loss among students, including low-income students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care, of the local educational agency, including by—
      • (i) administering and using high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable, to accurately assess students’ academic progress and assist educators in meeting students’ academic needs, including through differentiating instruction;
      • (ii) implementing evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of students;
      • (iii) providing information and assistance to parents and families on how they can effectively support students, including in a distance learning environment; and
      • (iv) tracking student attendance and improving student engagement in distance education.
    • (O) School facility repairs and improvements to enable operation of schools to reduce risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards, and to support student health needs.
    • (P) Inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities, including mechanical and non-mechanical heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, filtering, purification and other air cleaning, fans, control systems, and window and door repair and replacement.
    • (Q) Developing strategies and implementing public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff.
    • (R) Other activities that are necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services in local educational agencies and continuing to employ existing staff of the local educational agency.

    This Central Bucks School District's Board of School Directors and administrators invite all members of our community to provide input for consideration in allocating the ESSER funds.

    Please complete this online form no later than September 3, 2021.

    Share your feedback here.