In response to the devastating economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed two stimulus packages: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).
Fayetteville-Manlius School District expects to receive $1,151,722 as part of the ARPA and $3,909,011 in CRRSAA funding. The district will also be receiving additional Foundation Aid in the amount of $2,826,290.
Below are the district’s plans for the federal stimulus money.
American Rescue Plan (ARP)
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA)
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Spending Plan
Through September 30, 2024
On March 11, 2021, the President signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).
ARPA makes available $122.8 billion nationally in a third round of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP-ESSER) funds.
The 2021-22 enacted state budget includes language requiring each local education agency, or LEA receiving federal ARP-ESSER funding to post on its website, on or before July 1, 2021, a plan by school year of how such funds will be expended and how the LEA will prioritize spending on non-recurring expenses in the following areas:
- 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.
The LEA must reserve at least 20% of its allocation to address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive after-school programs, or extended school year programs.
It must ensure that such interventions respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs and address the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on economically disadvantaged students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care.
F-M will receive $1,151,722 as part of ARPA. The funding and related expenditures will be accounted for separately from the school district general fund budget.
The current plan indicates the ARPA funds will be expended during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal year in conjunction with Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).
The items listed below are how the district plans to spend the ARPA funds:
- Safely returning students to in-person instruction
- Extended learning and academic support to minimize the impacts of interrupted learning due the COVID-19 pandemic
- Increase academic intervention services and support for English language learners
- Interactive educational technology
- Instructional technology equipment
- Improve network connectivity
- Ventilation system upgrades
- Health and safety upgrades
- Increase availability of mental health support and family-school liaison
- Summer school expanded offering
In addition to addressing the impacts of interrupted learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to purchase educational technology, the items listed in this plan are intended to meet the needs of all students, to safely return students to in-person instruction, and to maximize in-person instructional time.
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) Spending Plan
Through September 30, 2023
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act 2021 (CRRSA), was signed into law on December 27, 2020 and provides an additional $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II Fund).
The United States Department of Education has encouraged states and LEAs to invest funds in technology infrastructure and professional development that will improve capacity to provide high quality, accessible, distance education, or remote learning.
This may include:
- Providing access to reliable, high-speed internet for students and teachers through the purchase of internet-connected devices/equipment, mobile hotspots, wireless service plans, or installation of Community Wi-Fi Hotspots, especially in underserved communities;
- Purchasing hardware and software applications for students and teachers;
- Providing access to high-quality digital learning content, apps, and tools that can deliver engaging and relevant learning experiences that are accessible to all students;
- Covering costs associated with making materials accessible for students with disabilities or English learners; and
- Providing professional development and training for teachers on effective strategies for the delivery of remote and digital instruction.
An LEA may also use ESSER funds for any of the following activities:
- Any activity authorized by the ESEA of 1965, including the Native Hawaiian Education Act and the Alaska Native Educational Equity, Support, and Assistance Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) (“IDEA”), the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) (“the Perkins Act”), or subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.).
- 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.
- Providing principals and others school leaders with the resources necessary to address the needs of their individual schools.
- 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.
- Developing and implementing procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies.
- Training and professional development for staff of the local educational agency on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases.
- Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the facilities of a local educational agency, including buildings operated by such agency.
- Planning for and coordinating during long-term closures, including for how to provide meals to eligible students, how to provide technology for online learning to all students, how to provide guidance for carrying out requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.) and how to ensure other educational services can continue to be provided consistent with all Federal, State, and local requirements.
- 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 students with disabilities, which may include assistive technology or adaptive equipment.
- Providing mental health services and supports.
- Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and supplemental after-school programs, including providing classroom instruction or online learning during the summer months and addressing the needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
- 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.
F-M will receive $3,900,011 as part of the CRRSAA (ESSER II) of 2020. The funding and related expenditures will be accounted for separately from the school district general fund budget.
The current plan is that the CRRSAA funds will be utilized to reimburse the district for expenditures and losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. In addition, CRRSAA funds will be expended during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal years.
The items listed below are how the district plans to allocate the CRRSAA funds:
Reimbursement for the following:
2019-20 school year
- Food Service operating loss;
- Transportation standby costs;
- Support staff standby costs;
- Personal protective equipment and supplies; and
- Disinfecting equipment and supplies.
Reimbursement for the following:
2020-21 school year
- Additional instructional staff/cost due to remote learning;
- Additional instructional support staff including teaching assistants due to remote learning;
- Remote learning professional development and support;
- Medical consultation services;
- Extended day and summer school academic support for students;
- Ventilation system filtration and air purification equipment and supplies;
- Disinfecting equipment and supplies;
- Personal protective equipment and supplies;
- Food Service operating loss; and
- Student furniture for social distancing.
Expenditures for the following:
2021-22 and 2022-23 school years
- Additional instructional resources;
- Upgrades to ventilation systems;
- Ventilation systems’ filter replacements (HEPA and MERV-13 filters);
- Medical consulting services;
- Remote learning professional development and support;
- Purchase of educational technology including hardware and software;
- Evening and summer fitness center supervision;
- Health and safety enhancements; and
- Ongoing COVID-19 safety protocols.
CRRSAA funds that are to be expended in the future are intended to provide additional academic and social-emotional supports for students resulting from interrupted learning, improvements to air ventilation systems and enhancements to health and safety protocols.
Foundation Aid Spending Plan
Fiscal year 2022-23
The 2021-22 enacted state budget included language stating that, for the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, each school district receiving a foundation aid increase of more than 10% or $10,000,000 must post to the district website prior to July 1 of each school year a plan by school year of
how the funds will be used to address student performance and need, including but not limited to:
- Increasing graduation rates and eliminating the achievement gap;
- Reducing class sizes;
- Providing supports for students who are not meeting, or at risk of not meeting,
state learning standards in core academic subject areas; - Addressing student social-emotional health; and
- Providing adequate resources to English language learners, students with
disabilities; and students experiencing homelessness.
Since the increase in foundation aid for F-M exceeded a 10% increase, the following is how the district plans to spend the $2,826,290, increase in foundation aid during the 2022-23 school year. This additional foundation aid is already included in the school district budget for 2022-23.
Many of the items listed in this plan are in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
- Student Support Services
- Teaching Assistants for academic support
- Instructional supplies
- Security equipment and outside services
- Health and safety
- Instructional technology equipment
- Instructional technology support
- Professional development for faculty and staff
- Curriculum development
- Flexible classroom furniture
- Cleaning and disinfection equipment
- Custodial and maintenance staff
- BOCES services
The items listed in this plan are intended to maintain the high graduation rate at F-M, while providing additional social-emotional support for students and academic support for students at risk of not meeting academic standards, including English language learners, students with disabilities and homeless
students. Funding will also address areas of health and safety.
More information
The ARPA, CRRSAA and Foundation Aid spending plans will be updated throughout the school year(s) as necessary.
If you’re having trouble viewing or accessing this information, please contact Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Brad Corbin by phone 315-692-1221 or email: bcorbin@fmschools.org