ARP Public Input
Dear Clarkstown Community:
New York State has been allocated just over $4 billion under the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act’s (CRRSA Act’s) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER 2) Fund and nearly $9 billion under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. This funding has been made available to support schools in safely reopening and sustaining safe operations while meeting the academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of students resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our District will be awarded $7.5 million as a part of the CRRSA Act and $4.8 million as a part of the ARP Act totaling $12.4 million. A portion of the ARP funding must be allocated 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.
Pursuant to applicable legislations and corresponding regulations, school districts are also required to 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; or
- supporting early childhood education.
For more information on the allowable expenditures, please see this website for more information.
Public comments are being accepted on the plan in advance of the district’s July 15 plan submission deadline to the state. We encourage our school community to complete this survey (please press here for the survey link) by Monday, June 21, 9am.
The final plan will be posted to the district website, www.ccsd.edu. Periodic updates to the plan will be shared during the period that the federal funding is available.
We thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to provide feedback. We value your continued partnership in supporting our students.
Sincerely,
Martin D. Cox, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools