The district will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 21, in the High School Auditorium, to discuss American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP ESSER) appropriations. Following a presentation by Superintendent Thomas Ciaccio, the public will have an opportunity to comment. A regular Board of Education meeting will follow at 6:30 p.m.
The funds are intended to provide districts with short-term resources to assist in recovering from the effects of the pandemic.
It is important to note that the funds are required to be prioritized for one-time or short-term expenses in the following areas under ARP-ESSER:
- Safely returning students to in-person instruction;
- Maximizing in-person instruction time;
- Operating schools and meeting the needs of students;
- Purchasing educational technology;
- Addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, including the impacts of interrupted instruction and learning loss and the impacts on low-income students, children with disabilities, English language learners, and students experiencing homelessness;
- Implementing evidence-based strategies to meet students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs;
- Offering evidence-based summer, afterschool, and other extended learning and enrichment programs; and
- Supporting early childhood education.
A finalized plan for applying COVID relief funds will be available on the district’s website by July 1, 2021.