Emergency Relief Funds
ARP ESSER Funding
On March 11, 2021 the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding from the ARP Act provides support for K-12 schools to help safely open and sustain the safe operations of schools and address the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation's students. For more information about ARP ESSER visit the Colorado Department of Education website.
D49 ARP ESSER Plan
District 49 zones and schools, including charter schools, utilized needs assessment data and community input to generate plans for the use of ARP ESSER funds allocated on a per pupil basis. The budget and application has been approved by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE).
Allocated Funding
District 49 was allocated just over $15.4 million dollars. Of this amount, $8.69 million is for district-operated schools and $6.71 million is for charter schools.
Funding Plan - Revised August 2023
The District has until September 30, 2024 to spend ESSER III funds. As priorities change in responding to the pandemic and its effect on staff and students, the Use of Funds Plan may be revised. Approximated dollar amounts. May not add to total due to rounding.
Zones and schools, including charter schools, have determined the following ways to utilize funds to address learning, social & emotional/ mental health, health & safety, and continuity of operation needs.
Addressing Learning Needs ($9.5M):
• Intervention & instructional coaching staff to support math & reading needs
• Additional teachers to support smaller student/teacher ratios
• Curricular programs & resources
• Tutoring and after-school programming
• Career exploration, academic planning, & work-based learning program
• Staff professional development for addressing learning loss
• CLDE transition meetings
• Summer school programming
• Data warehouse & analysis tool
Social & Emotional/ Mental Health ($1.7M):
• Youth Mental Health & SEL professional development
• Staff to support social/ emotional/ behavioral needs of students
• SEL curricular programs & resources
• Monetary incentives to retain staff
Health & Safety Needs ($611K):
• Personal protective equipment
• Flexible furniture to support social distancing
• Outdoor classroom and learning supplies
• Sanitation and cleaning services
• HVAC updates
• Additional school nurse
Continuity of Operations ($3.4M):
• Educational technology
· Laptops, iPads, interactive panels, and displays
· Carts, charging stations, and cases
• Substitute teacher support
• Improving facilities to reduce health hazards
• Grant management costs
School districts are required to spend at least 20% of the funding on evidence-based interventions to address learning loss.
District 49's plan includes over $4.79 million dollars for evidence-based interventions, 31% of total funding.
