• AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Grant

     

    On Thursday, March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law. It is an unprecedented $1.9 trillion package of assistance measures, including $122 billion for the ARP Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund. Funds are provided to State educational agencies and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Nation’s students.

    The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will provide Pennsylvania with $5 billion in emergency funding to support the long-term work of education recovery. Career and Technology Centers (CTCs), in addition to Intermediate Units (IUs), APSs, PRRIs, A-TSI-designated schools, Chartered Schools for the Deaf and Blind, and Educational Programs for Neglected, Delinquent, and At-Risk Youth are eligible to receive a share of part of the 10% Pennsylvania state set-aside ($135 Million) ARP ESSER funds.

    Visit American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund for more information on the state of Pennsylvania’s ARP ESSER Plan.

    Summary of the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 PROPOSED Plan for the Use of ARP ESSER Funds

    ARP ESSER requires that LEAs (Local Education Agencies) develop, approve, and make public an LEA Plan for the Use of ARP ESSER funds. LEAs will be able to satisfy the LEA Plan requirement through the PDE eGrants submission. Below is a summary of IU29’s proposed plan (The IU Plan for the Use of ARP ESSER Funds must be made publicly available on the IU website and submitted to PDE within 90 days of LEA receipt of ARP ESSER funding):

    Continuity of Services

    IU29 proposes to use ARP ESSER funds to sustain services to address students’ academic needsÍž students’ and staff social, emotional, and mental health needsÍž and student nutrition and food services in the following ways:

    • Fund Psychological Services
    • Purchase of a Social Emotional Learning Curriculum

    Access to Instruction

    IU29 proposes to use ARP ESSER funds to support the goals of increasing opportunity to learn and equity in instructional delivery in the following ways:

    • Purchase of instructional applications for use on student iPads
    • Purchase of Funtronics Software
    • Purchase of ViewSonic Boards for the classrooms.
    • Purchase of zSpace Machine
    • Purchase of Manipulative Hands-On Task Inc.

    Mitigation Strategies

    IU29 proposes to use ARP ESSER funds to support prevention and mitigation policies in line with the most up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the reopening and operation of school facilities and transportation services to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff in the following ways:

    • Purchase and installation of new touchless soap dispensers
    • Purchase and installation of new touchless paper towel dispensers
    • Purchase and installation of new touchless toilets
    • Purchase and installation of new touchless faucets
    • Purchase and installation of new food services dishwasher

    Facilities Improvements

    IU29 proposes to use ARP ESSER funds to repair and improve school facilities to reduce risk of virus transmission, address environmental health hazards, and/or improve ventilation

    • Installation of a Whole Building Water Filtration System
    • Installation of an Outdoor Classroom
    • Installation of an Outdoor Physical Education Space
    • Replacement of doors and windows to allow for ventilation
    • Installation of a new HVAC system in the IU Server Room

    Our Planning Team

    IU29 has a core leadership team that includes the Intermediate Unit Executive Director, Director of CTE & Assistant Executive Director, Principal, Grant Writer, Maintenance Supervisor, IT Coordinator, Social Worker, School Counselor, Director of Curriculum, and the Director of Special Education.

    Engaging Stakeholders in Plan Development

    IU29 has developed a plan to engage stakeholders in meaningful consultation regarding the use of ARP ESSER funds. In order to identify stakeholders, STC considered the individuals and organizations that IU29 already engages through the Comprehensive Planning processes. Stakeholders participating in the Comprehensive Plan participated in the ARP ESSER funding plan. The Stakeholder Committee includes a diverse group including: teachers, faculty, administrators, career guidance and advisement professionals, and other staff, state or local workforce development board representatives, representatives from a range of local businesses and industries, parents and student representatives. 

    Planning Timeline

    Project Period: 3/13/20 – 9/30/24

    Planning Period 7/1/2021-1/7/2022

    Step 1: Discovery Phase, including Stakeholder Input and Review of Plan

    Step 2: Budget Allocation Planning

    Step 3: Program Planning and Implementation

    Step 4: Measure for Success (ongoing)