Certification and Agreement for Funding for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Education Relief Fund (ARP ESSER)

BACKGROUND

Purpose

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) 2021 was signed into law on March 11, 2021, and provides an additional $122.8 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP ESSER Fund). ARP ESSER Fund awards to SEAs are in the same proportion as each State receiving funds under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, in the fiscal year 2020.

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) distributes these funds by application in alignment with the federal distribution formula. This new funding is intended to help local education agencies safely reopen schools, measure and effectively address accelerated learning, and take other actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the students and families who depend on our K-12 schools.

Although the ARP ESSER uses of funds are similar to those for ESSER I and ESSER II, there are important distinctions between the ARP ESSER and other ESSER programs, including the period of funds availability, equitable services to non-public schools, maintenance of effort, and a report on efforts to measure and address accelerated learning. LEAs may plan to use all remaining ESSER I and ESSER II funds before making use of the ARP ESSER funds, given the shorter remaining period of availability; however, this is not a requirement. Please consult the accompanying fact sheet to learn more about the ARP ESSER program.

As part of the required state application for the U.S. Department of Education, USBE leaders met with diverse stakeholders to get input on statewide needs in May 2021. USBE identified the following three issues currently facing students and schools across Utah as a result of or in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge LEAs to consider these priority areas in designing plans for the use of ARP ESSER funds. 

1. Student mental health and social, emotional needs, including student health foundations and protective factors.
2. Missing or Disengaged Students in K-12
3. Literacy

The ARP ESSER funds require that an LEA engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders in the development of this plan. The LEA will assure that the public has been provided the opportunity to provide input to the LEA ARP ESSER plan, that the LEA has taken the public information into account, and that the local school board has adopted the LEA’s plan for the use of ARP ESSER funds in an open and public meeting. 

PROPOSED USE OF FUNDS

Below we are asking each LEA to provide an explanation of how the LEA intends to use the ARP ESSER funds in alignment with the allowable use cases described by the U.S. Department of Education. We encourage LEAs to prioritize evidence-based practices and call those out in their narrative.

1. UNDERSTAND & ASSESS: Student Academic and Social-Emotional Needs

USBE encourages LEAs to complete a needs assessment before determining how their portion of ESSER funds will be used. LEAs should follow existing needs assessment protocols to determine the most valuable and targeted use of ESSER funds. A needs assessment should include a review of the current state compared to the desired state, the identification of barriers to reaching the desired state, and an analysis of the potential sources of the identified barriers.

19. Impacts of COVID-19 on your LEA:Please describe the areas that have been most impacted by the coronavirus on your LEA. What has been done to determine the strategies that are needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic? Please provide any baseline data and stakeholder feedback collected to show the impacts of COVID-19.

The following summary of the impacts of COVID-19 relies upon stakeholder feedback and state and district data.  SSSD has high rates of low-income, intergenerational poverty (Special Education at 14% prevalence) and English Language Learners which impacts the level of exposure to language, pre-academic/kindergarten readiness, accessibility, and home support which precipitate struggling before entry into school and further exacerbates students’ rates of learning throughout their K-12 educational experience. COVID-19 further magnified those issues with noticeable gaps in learning from pandemic-related factors in the outcomes of already at-risk students. When instruction was provided online/virtually with parent-support many parents reported that because of their essential employee status, they could not facilitate learning at home, as was expected by non-essential workers; some realized the importance of educators as they struggled to take the place of their children’s teachers as they experienced strained relationships with learning in their homes. Many recognized the importance of education for its positive effects on proper social/emotional development, as SSSD experienced an uptick in suicide ideation and mental-health related needs. Starting in school year 21, SSSD began to notice a trend that students were impacted all around beyond families from the usual at-risk statuses as reported by informal observation and in reading assessments.  For academic, behavioral, and social-emotional reasons, SSSD uses a blended-services model with the use of multi-tiered systems of supports with its limited resources as it has previously done to meet the needs of students with at-risk concerns; a support system which had taken a structural and emotional toll on school staff, many of whom who could not/would not return due to various reasons that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and in trying to close an even further gap brought on by COVID 19 closures. These facets of the pandemic further strained a tenuous system of support that was already spread thin to meet meaningful progress with student needs prior to the closure.

COVID-19 was both a blessing and a curse for SSSD and its use of technology in education.  It highlighted our weaknesses yet underscored its necessity in the future of providing an effective personalized competency-based learning environment using technology for our students in any school and home.  SSSD learned that many teachers struggled to meet the demands of this new hybridized means of instruction. The district engaged in timely professional development and instructional coaches to facilitate the online learning programs of Pathblazer and Edgenuity as additional educational tools and as an option for parents opting for their students to receive their instruction from home.  This has helped fuel the expansion of SSSD’s ability to provide elements of PCBL.    

As struggling students predictably do when they are away from school, attendance rates reduced and impacted students' access to core instruction and interventions used to help catch students up to their expected grade levels and core objectives with the rest of their peers. These impacts had unintended consequences that placed a burden on parents and teachers for higher than usual referrals for Special Education.  SSSD had already’ had high-caseload management, it wore thinner an already understaffed and under-resourced Special Education department to test, assess, and evaluate an outstandingly larger number of students exhibiting valid concerns and gaps in accessing school activities and holes in their academic and social-emotional learning compared to previous years.  Students with Disabilities already had significant life obstacles, having disabilities, and the impacted Special Education department provided a free appropriate public education commensurate to the negatively-impacted general education system as a whole.  The proportional effect was a strained Special Education department with high-emotional tolls of physical and emotional stress providing services to the best it could for its students but still lacking in resources and time to provide effective personalized and individualized learning.   Special Education has traditionally been an avenue of giving side-benefit learning opportunities to struggling general education students, which is a benefit to students with disabilities and makes Special Ed. services less restrictive but is becoming more complex with staffing constraints and increased COVID-related learning gaps with students.

These falling dominoes had obstructive repercussions in all instructional areas of students outcomes, but noticeably in Reading and Language Arts, which is why South Sanpete is focusing intensely on Reading: from language for learning; learning to read;  reading to learn; to eventually being critical-thinkers that will not only comprehend a broad array of text, but also analyze and synthesize various texts, then create, formulate, and author complex and cohesive products of spoken and written language of their own. As part of SSSD’s path to implementing its Personalized Competency-Based Learning Model, technology needs require expanding network availability and upgrades to the school system software and hardware to meet students’ personalized needs that also support the instruction at home and as supplementary programming to core instruction.  For students’ outcomes to be maximized, SSSD is banking on its efforts to keep a solid framework of practical education with instructional coaching and targeted supports at all levels, high-leverage instructional practices, increasing district and effective interventions, and expanding,novel approachesproofg access to technology through upgrades.  

An assessment of the needs of SSSD related to the impacts of the pandemic utilized the following: geographic and demographic data, academic performance assessments, attendance history, available data on mental health needs of students, analysis of demand for services in disproportionately impacted subgroups, analysis of the ability to meet the safety needs of students and employees, surveys of administrators, teachers, staff, community members, and parents, and a thorough review of technology usage related to safe in-school and home learning instructional tools and infrastructure.

2.  DESIGN: LEA ARP ESSER Plan and Aligned Budget

In building budgets, please keep in mind that federal funds should be utilized to supplement your state and local funds. The ARP ESSER budget submitted through the Utah Grants Management System does not include state and local funds. Still, their availability and utilization should be considered the foundation for building recovery and acceleration plans. As you are braiding various state and federal funds, be mindful that some funds expire at different times than others. The increased federal funds will enhance the opportunities that you can offer. Still, we encourage you to think holistically as you assess your LEA’s situation and make plans for academic recovery and acceleration.

1. Plan to Address Accelerated learning:  Please provide a narrative response for how your LEA plans to use at least 20 percent of funds to address accelerated learning through the implementation of evidence-based interventions (e.g., providing intensive or high-dosage tutoring or accelerating learning), such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive after-school programs, or extended school year programs, and ensure that those interventions respond to students’ social, emotional, and academic needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups.

The ARP Act defines the term “evidence-based” as having the meaning in section 8101(21) of the ESEA. Accordingly, “evidence-based” includes several tiers of evidence. Specifically, “evidence-based,” when used with respect to a State, LEA, or school activity, means an activity, strategy, or intervention that: 

• Demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on—
  • Strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study (“tier 1”); 
  • Moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study (“tier 2”); or 
  • Promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias (“tier 3”); or 
• Demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation that such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other relevant outcomes and includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of such activity, strategy, or intervention (“tier 4”). 

Given the novel context created by the COVID-19 pandemic, an activity need not have generated such evidence during the COVID-19 pandemic to be considered evidence-based. The Department’s What Works Clearinghouse (available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/) identifies the tier of evidence that reviewed studies meet, as applicable. As part of the “demonstrates a rationale (tier 4)” level of evidence, grantees may develop and use approaches that are novel, if they are consistent with theoretical and empirical findings from research, and the grantee will continue to review the effects of the practice to build the evidence base. Developing a logic model can help to demonstrate a rationale. Logic model resources are available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp.

1. The narrative for how your LEA plans use at least 20% of the total ARP ESSER award to address accelerated learning through the implementation of evidence-based outcomes.

The Needs Assessment conducted by South Sanpete School District identified the need for additional resources in the realm of Student and Staff Social and Emotional Health, additional course offerings, additional one-on-one assistance in the classroom, reading interventions in elementary classrooms, personalized learning, and additional interventions for students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency.

Social/Emotional Health Interventions

            Needs Assessment Indicators

• Parent surveys indicated strong support from parents for additional resources in the social and emotional health of students.
• School Climate Surveys also supported other resources in this area due to increased mental health concerns among parents and staff.
• A review of Refocus Room Usage showed an increase in use for more serious behaviors.

            LEA Plan

1. Additional Licensed Counselors & Mental Health Specialists-Continue to develop Social and Emotional Learning skills through the use of additional counselors and mental health specialists to train and ensure school staff use trauma-informed practices to help identify internal barriers to student success as well as teaching skills that assist in the accelerated learning process through resilience-building and growth mindset instruction.
2. Social-Emotional Skills Training-Skills-training with more highly skilled staff will provide for the ability to meet the needs of ever-growing mental-health related crises that were present even before the COVID 19 pandemic, and are now compounded in the lives of many students whose homes are lacking in the factors that promote proper social and emotional learning. 
3. Wellness/Refocus Rooms-Support implementation of Wellness/Refocus Rooms in each school to provide a neutral space to reinforce Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), particularly with underserved student groups.

Comprehensive After School and Summer Enrichment Programs

            Needs Assessment Indicators

• A common theme in the comments on parent and community surveys is the need for additional one-on-one instruction and tutoring.
• School administration and counselor surveys have indicated a need for other targeted summer enrichment programs and expanding tutoring.

            LEA Plan

1. Targeted Summer School Programs-Expand and enhance the Summer School program to better provide for those students who require more assistance and development for not only students in the Migrant program but also for at-risk, English language learners, Special Education, and other student subgroups impacted by COVID-related learning losses.
2. Expanded Tutoring Programs-Focus on targeted tutoring and provide opportunities both in school and after school for additional one-on-one tutoring support for students.Student grades and credit deficiencies will be identified and monitored on an ongoing basis and offered support and tutoring regularly.

Evidence-Based Academic and Reading Interventions

            Needs Assessment Indicators

• Upon review of Reading data for the last several years, it was noted that early literacy, particularly in K-3, did not increase as significantly as expected.Administration surveys at the elementary level indicated areas of greatest need are reading instruction and support from additional highly trained faculty and staff in this area.
• Student attendance is key to student educational success.As expected, attendance data from the 2020-21 school year showed a significant increase in absenteeism, and review of vital academic indicators (comprehensive testing, expected grade and school-level educational outcomes, BOY and EOY growth assessments, etc.) were impacted by the pandemic.
• Parent and School Community Council Surveys indicate a desire from our communities for highly trained teachers.
• Administrator surveys requested additional funding to support more instructional aides in classrooms and offer different courses for students.
• A review of course completion and academic achievement data indicated a need for other options for credit-deficient students.The deficiency was exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly for low-income students or students that chose to homeschool for the year.
• The SSSD Title Early Learning Plans and I provide a framework for academic interventions for Early Learners and at-risk subgroups. 

            LEA Plan

1. PCBL Implementation-South Sanpete School District will be implementing a Personalized Competency-Based Model within each school.SSSD plans to partner with Knowledge Works to train administration, faculty, and staff over a two-year period, which will include exploring resources to make the mindset shift necessary for PCBL, developing a professional development plan to support early implementers, identifying systems shifts that must be undertaken at the district level to transition to PCBL, developing a plan to begin the transformation, and beginning to shift from adult-centered to student-centered learning.This program will benefit ALL students but will also focus on student subgroups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
2. Elementary Reading Program-SSSD will provide Reading Coaches in all three elementary schools.These coaches will assist in the new LETRS training for teachers and provide universal monitoring and support for reading acceleration and remediation.
3. Student Learning Opportunities/One-on-One Instruction-SSSD will provide funding for schools to offer additional courses during the school day tohigh-quality provide more opportunities for learning, additional one-on-one instruction, and tutoring. Providing further opportunities for a more personalized and competency-based learning environment will also require extra time for teachers to plan instruction beyond the classroom and spare time to meet the needs of struggling students needing secondary and tertiary supports from the district’s MTSS support system. This has been a challenge because of the high rate of at-risk students that divide teachers' attention and pose a challenge to the accelerated learning of the students.SSSD also plans to provide funding for additional paraeducators throughout the district to target students with the highest needs and support individualized instruction.
4. Supplemental Instructional Programs/Technology-With the addition of at-home instruction opportunities for students, SSSD has felt the need to provide comprehensive and supplemental instruction programs for students.These programs require not only site and individual licenses but also the technology infrastructure, equipment, networks, and training to implement effective at-home instruction.In-classroom instruction has also changed with the need to provide a safe environment for students and teachers, particularly trying to utilize technology to limit possible exposures.  SSSD will continue to offer comprehensive instructional programs for at-home learners and also update existing equipment, technology, and training for safe in-classroom instruction.  
5. Teacher & Classroom Assistant Professional Development-SSSD strives to provide professional development opportunities for high quality teachers and staff.SSSD plans to provide professional development on the elementary reading program, educational technology, and programs for high-quality instructional support staff.High-quality educators in conjunction with school administration and the community will develop a plan to support safe in-school and at-home instruction.
6. Learning Loss Coordination/Attendance Tracking-SSSD will add an additional position specifically to track attendance and learning loss.This position will work closely with the administration to ensure struggling students are offered additional support and opportunities. 

High Need Student Subgroups Interventions

             Needs Assessment Indicators

• WIDA and Special Ed academic and service data throughout the district has shown some improvement over previous years but not as much as expected for interventions provided. 

            LEA Plan

1. Students with Limited Disabilities-SSSD plans to add a position for a licensed educator for additional, comprehensive individualized instructions for students with disabilities in high need areas.
2. Students with Limited English Proficiency-SSSD intends to add a job for a certified educator to provide individualized comprehensive education for students with limited English proficiency in high need areas.

1. Please complete the table below for each of the activities that you will be pursuing to address learning loss. 

1. What is your process for evaluating the success of the above activities and revising your ARP ESSER plan to reflect improvements? 

South Sanpete School District plans to begin implementation immediately upon approval of the plan. Performance will include finalizing and communicating goals to all stakeholders, hiring necessary staff, and training faculty and staff on essential interventions.  As a part of finalizing goals, the administrative team will create an implementation timeline that will include mid-year and end-of-year evaluation criteria, which will include review of critical data and stakeholder feedback.  During mid- and end-of-year implementation evaluations, the team will make any adjustments needed to ensure program success.

1. How will the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements, including but not limited to the interventions under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act to address the academic impact of lost instructional time, will respond to the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students, and particularly those students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory students?  USBE encourages LEAs to reference their needs assessment to support their narrative. 

Tools that will drive the process of evaluating the success of South Sanpete School District’s accelerated learning programs are as follows:

• Progress toward Early Learning Plan goals, including Acadience reading scores
• Goals for Implementation of PCBL
• WIDA Scores
• Attendance rates
• Targeted services to students with disabilities
• Students served in targeted tutoring and summer enrichment programs
• Student utilization of Refocus Rooms and SEL support systems
• Close evaluation of student success indicators, disaggregated and analyzed to student subgroups to ensure targeted groups are receiving necessary interventions

Plan for remainder of funds:  

Please provide a narrative response that details your LEA ARP ESSER plan for the remaining funds in alignment with the allowable use cases. We recommend you call out the federal use case language and category number in your response, as well as including your budget narrative from the Utah Grants Management System.

The South Sanpete School District plans to use the remaining ARP ESSER III Funds in the following ways: (1) To purchase additional educational technology items (hardware, software, and connectivity) such as iPads, computers, and other necessary technology items to help with digital learning opportunities.  This will also aid in the regular and substantive educational interaction between students and teachers. This part of our plan addresses federal use category #12. (2) To repair/replace school rooftop air handler units that circulate air throughout the schools and provide heating, air conditioning, and air circulation inside the school buildings.  To also repair/replace the accompanying control systems that make the air handlers work and increase efficiency.  We may also look at door and window repair/replacement as needed to help with the same efforts.  We believe these needed improvements will provide a healthier and safer school by reducing the risk of virus transmission and exposure to health hazards.  We believe they will improve the health of students and faculty. This part of our plan addresses federal use categories #16 and #17.  (3) We plan to use some of the funds to cover additional school nurse costs due to the added safety measures, mental health concerns, and service support they have had to take on and will continue to take on as we navigate COVID-19.  We will purchase needed nursing supplies as well as additional COVID-19 supplies as needed. Part (3) of our plan addresses federal use categories #6, 10, and 18. (4) We plan to use some of the funds to cover the increased costs of providing SRO’s (School Resource Officers) in the schools.  SRO’s have played a vital role for us in the fight against COVID-19. SRO’s provide additional mental health supports and help us with the implementation of evidenced-based full-service community schools.  Part (4) of our plan addresses federal use categories #8, #13, and #19.

3. Implementation and Policy

1. LEA Safe Return to In-Person Instruction Commitment

An LEA that receives ARP ESSER funds must, within 30 days of receiving the funds, make publicly available on its website a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services by addressing the mitigation strategies described by the federal legislation and interim final rule. Before making the plan publicly available, the LEA must seek public comment on the plan. 

We recognize that for most Utah LEAs, schools are already providing this in-person instruction. The requirements outlined below are in compliance with the ARP ESSER award, and should speak to the plans for school in fall 2021. Please complete the “LEA Response” within the table below for each of the mitigation strategies describing if the LEA has any policies and what those policies are for the given mitigation strategy. 

1. Please provide a link to your website where you will post this plan within 30 days of receiving the funds, to make it publicly available as required in federal legislation and rule. This link will be made available on the USBE website and be provided to the U.S. Department of Education. 

https://www.ssanpete.org/arp-relief-funds/744-district/do-district/arp-relief-funds/4044-arp-esser-plan.html

4. GEPA Section 427 (20 U.S.C. 1228a) Compliance

1. LEA Description of GEPA Compliance

Please describe how the LEA will comply with the requirements of GEPA Section 427 (20 U.S.C. 1228a). Comprehensive GEPA requirements are listed under the assurances section of this document. Your description must include information on the steps the LEA proposes to take to permit students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries to overcome barriers (including barriers based on gender, race, color, national origin, disability, and age) that impede access to, or participation in, the program.

Description of GEPA Compliance:

South Sanpete School District will administer the ARP ESSER III Funds with all applicable statutes, regulations, program plans, and applications.  Any supplies, materials, and property purchased with the funds will be used and owned by the South Sanpete School District. The funds will be accounted for and tracked following the USBE rules and any others that are required.  During the planning for this money, many individuals were included.  District Administration met with directors, coaches, and principals to develop the best uses for these funds.  We also sent out surveys to community council members and the community at large to gather public input and recommendations.  The priority uses for the funds will be to address accelerated learning through the implementation of evidence-based activities such as hiring reading coaches for the elementary schools, providing mental health services with SEL counselor, cover additional periods for teachers in the secondary schools, increased nursing hours for mental health support, HVAC upgrades, ESL supports, tutoring, after school programs, and technology purchases.  These uses of funds will help teachers and students to overcome barriers.  The reading coaches will significantly enhance elementary schools' ability to focus on reading instruction and help those students who are behind to get caught up.  The reading coaches will also help the school faculty to incorporate reading strategies into all aspects of learning.  The HVAC upgrades are needed and will provide better air and circulation to our aging buildings and improve student and faculty health.  The coverage of additional periods in the secondary schools will help smaller class sizes, bridge learning gaps, and allow more class offerings to students.  The burden placed on our school nurses this year has been extraordinary.  The ability to help cover increased hours will be extremely beneficial to them.  They have been inundated with contact tracing, COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, protocol questions, and many other new tasks this year.  All this on top of what they had already been doing.  The purchase of technology items such as iPads and computers will help students generally with all their learning as they may have missed school and then enable our transition to home-learning smoothly if that situation arises. 

ASSURANCES

The superintendent or charter school director assures the following:

Plan Development and Approval Requirements

• The LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, including, but not limited to:
  1. students; 
  2. families; 

• school and district administrators (including special education administrators); and

1. teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and their unions. 

• The LEA must also engage in meaningful consultation with each of the following to the extent present in or served by the LEA:

1. Tribes; 
2. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations); and

• stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities, English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, migratory students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved students.
• The LEA assures that the public has been provided the opportunity to provide input to the development of this plan.
• The LEA has taken the public input into account in developing this plan. 
• The local school board has adopted the LEA’s plan for the use of ARP ESSER funds in an open and public meeting.

Programmatic Requirements

• LEA plans to use at least 20 percent of funds to address accelerated learning through the implementation of evidence-based interventions and ensure that those interventions respond to students’ social, emotional, and academic needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups.
  • To put a greater focus on social and emotional learning the Utah State Board of Education will be using the term “accelerated learning” in place of “learning loss” and assure that the use of this term is in alignment with the federal use of “learning loss.”
• The LEA will only use the ARP ESSER grant Coronavirus Relief Fund to cover costs that— 
  • Are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• The LEA will implement evidence-based interventions, as required by section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act
• The LEAs will address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students (i.e., students from low-income families, students from racial or ethnic groups, gender, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory students), as required by section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act
• LEAs that receive ARP ESSER funds meet the requirements in section 2001(i) of the ARP Act and the requirements relating to the ARP ESSER funds published in the Federal Register and available at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/american-rescue-plan/american-rescue-plan-elementary-and-secondary-school-emergency-relief/(ARP ESSER requirements) within 30 days of receipt of the funds, develop and make publicly available on the LEA’s website a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services. 
  • Before making the plan publicly available, the LEA must seek public comment on the plan.
  • The LEA ARP ESSER plan includes adoption or the extent of adoption of the policies and strategies that provide continuity of services including but not limited to services to address the students’ academic needs, and students’ and staff social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services in the LEA ARP ESSER plan template.
  • The LEA will periodically review and revise their plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services, no less frequently than every six months for the duration of the ARP ESSER grant (through September 30, 2023) as part of the grant administration and monitoring process. 
    • Each LEA will be required to submit an assurance that this step has been completed during COVID-19 relief funding reporting and fiscal year close out occurs twice a year.This step will be required, and LEA reimbursements will be placed on hold until the assurance and submission of updated link has been provided to USBE. 
  • All posted LEA plans have a point of contact and/or survey form included on the website where the plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services is published to allow for public feedback and input throughout the calendar year. 
  • The LEA will consider all public feedback in reviewing and making any revisions to the plan. The plan and any subsequent and substantive changes will be required to be approved by the local LEA school board in a public meeting. 
• An LEA that receives ARP ESSER funds under this grant is not requiredto provide equitable services to non-public school students and teachers with the ARP ESSER funding. All non-public schools can seek funding support from USBE through the Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools (EANS) program. Please refer them to the USBE website: https://schools.utah.gov/coronavirus?mid=4985&aid=10
• When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money, U.S. Department of Education grantees shall clearly state:
  • the percentage of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with Federal money;
  • the dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program; and
  • the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.
  • Recipients must comply with these conditions under Division B, Title V, Section 505 of Public Law 115-245, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019.
• Grantees and subgrantees that receive grant funds under programs of the Department are responsible for maintaining internal controls regarding the management of Federal program funds under the Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR 200.302 and 200.303. In addition, grantees are responsible for ensuring that subgrantees are aware of the cash management and requirements in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D.

Fiscal Requirements

• Grantees and subgrantees that receive grant funds under programs of the Department are responsible for maintaining internal controls regarding the management of Federal program funds under the Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR 200.302 and 200.303. In addition, grantees are responsible for ensuring that subgrantees are aware of the cash management and requirements in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D.

Local Educational Agency Maintenance of Equity for High-Poverty Schools

• Section 2004(c) of the ARP Act stipulates that an LEA, as a condition of receiving ARP ESSER funds under section 2001, a local educational agency shall not, in fiscal year 2022 or 2023—
  • Reduce per-pupil funding (from combined State and local funding) for any high-poverty school served by such local educational agency by an amount that exceeds—
    • The total reduction in local educational agency funding (from combined State and local funding) for all schools served by the local educational agency in such fiscal year (if any); divided by
    • The number of children enrolled in all schools served by the local educational agency in such fiscal year; or
  • Reduce per-pupil, full-time equivalent staff in any high-poverty school by an amount that exceeds—
    • The total reduction in full-time equivalent staff in all schools served by such local educational agency in such fiscal year (if any); divided by
    • The number of children enrolled in all schools served by the local educational agency in such fiscal year.
  • Exception: The above condition shall not apply to a local educational agency in federal fiscal year 2022 or 2023 that meets at least 1 of the following criteria in such fiscal year:
    • Such local educational agency has a total enrollment of less than 1,000 students.
    • Such local educational agency operates a single school.
    • Such local educational agency serves all students within each grade span with a single school.
    • Such local educational agency demonstrates an exceptional or uncontrollable circumstance, such as unpredictable changes in student enrollment or a precipitous decline in the financial resources of such agency, as determined by the Secretary of Education.

Reporting Requirements for ARP ESSER

As described in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”), USBE will ensure that its LEAs comply with, all reporting requirements at such time and in such manner and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including on matters such as:

• The LEA will comply with all reporting requirements at such time and in such manner and contain such information as the federal government, state lawmakers, and USBE may reasonably require in the future.
  • Records pertaining to this award under 2 C.F.R. 200.334 and 34 C.F.R. 76.730, including financial records related to use of grant funds, must be retained separately from the LEAs ESSER I funds (awarded in 2020) and ESSER II funds (awarded in 2021).
• How the LEA is developing strategies and implementing public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies and plans in line with the CDC guidance related to mitigating COVID-19 in schools;
• Overall plans and policies related to LEA support for return to in-person instruction and maximizing in-person instruction time, including how funds will support a return to and maximize in-person instruction time, and advance equity and inclusivity in participation in in-person instruction;
• Data on each school’s mode of instruction (fully in-person, hybrid, and fully remote) and conditions;
• LEA uses of funds to meet students’ social, emotional, and academic needs, including through summer enrichment programming and other evidence-based interventions, and how they advance equity for underserved students;
• LEA uses of funds to sustain and support access to early childhood education programs;
• Impacts and outcomes (disaggregated by student subgroup) through use of ARP ESSER funding (e.g., quantitative and qualitative results of ARP ESSER funding, including on personnel, student learning, and budgeting at the school and district level);
• Student data (disaggregated by student subgroup) related to how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected instruction and learning;
• Requirements under the Federal Financial Accountability Transparency Act (“FFATA”); and
• Additional reporting requirements may be necessary to ensure accountability and transparency of ARP ESSER funds.

Records Retention

• The LEA will cooperate with any examination of records with respect to ARP ESSER grant by making records available for inspection, production, and examination, and authorized individuals available for interview and examination, upon the request of (i) the governor; (ii) the Department of Education and/or its Inspector General; or (iii) any other federal agency, commission, or department in the lawful exercise of its jurisdiction and authority.

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements for LEAs

Section 442 (20 U.S.C. 1232e) Assurances

• Any LEA receiving funding under this program will have on file with the SEA a set of assurances that meets the requirements of section 442 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232e).
• To the extent applicable, an LEA will include in its local application a description of how the LEA will comply with the requirements of section 427 of GEPA (20 U.S.C. 1228a). The description must include information on the steps the LEA proposes to take to permit students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries to overcome barriers (including barriers based on gender, race, color, national origin, disability, and age) that impede equal access to, or participation in, the program.
• The LEA will administer ARP ESSER funds in accordance with all applicable statutes, regulations, program plans, and applications;
• The control of funds provided to the LEA, and title to property acquired with those funds, will be in a public agency and that a public agency will administer those funds and property;
• The LEA will use fiscal control and fund accounting procedures that will ensure proper disbursement of, and accounting for, ARP ESSER funds paid to that agency;
• The LEA will make reports to the governor and to the U.S. Secretary of Education as may reasonably be necessary to enable the governor and the Secretary to perform their duties and that the local educational agency will maintain such records, including the records required under section 443, and provide access to those records, as the governor or the Secretary deem necessary to perform their duties;
• The LEA will provide reasonable opportunities for the participation by teachers, parents, and other interested agencies, organizations, and individuals in the planning for and operation of ARP ESSER fund expenditures;
• Any application, evaluation, periodic program plan or report relating to ARP ESSER will be made readily available to parents and other members of the general public;
• In the case of any project involving construction—
  • The project is not inconsistent with overall State plans for the construction of school facilities, and
  • In developing plans for construction, due consideration will be given to excellence of architecture and design and to compliance with standards prescribed by the Secretary under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in order to ensure that facilities constructed with the use of Federal funds are accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities
• The LEA has adopted effective procedures for acquiring and disseminating to teachers and administrators participating in each program significant information from educational research, demonstrations, and similar projects, and for adopting, where appropriate, promising educational practices developed through such projects; and
• None of the funds expended under ARP ESSER will be used to acquire equipment (including computer software) in any instance in which such acquisition results in a direct financial benefit to any organization representing the interests of the purchasing entity or its employees or any affiliate of such an organization.

Assurance on Lobbying (34 CFR part 82)

The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:

1. No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of an agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.
2. If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” in accordance with its instructions
3. The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.

 _ARP_ESSER_Application_for_SSSD.pdf