ESSER III @ $3,594,653

Goal: Maintain continuity for Learning Loss, Summer Enrichment, and After-School programing

Learning Loss: The District recognizes that many students struggled while some thrived in the school year 2020-21. Our spending plan for Learning Loss is designed to reach both groups ensuring that we fulfill our District mission of "Every student. Every day". Funding items include paying for additional Response to Intervention (RtI) teachers, paying for an online education platform and staff member to support the program, and paying for staff professional development in areas of teaching and curriculum, paying for new reading curriculum. These expenses will impact all subgroups of students.

Summer Enrichment: The District will redesign its Summer School approach from traditional in-classroom learning enhancement and credit recovery to a Summer Enrichment program allowing students more choices of educational avenues. Funding will pay teachers to design Enrichment programs that focus on a learning standard but through a more unique learning approach. Additionally, the District will work on creating a Kindergarten Readiness Program for students to prepare them for success in year one of their education.

After-School: The District recognizes that the whole child learning process doesn't end with the last bell, so we will continue to offer our after school programming known as Extended Time where students can focus on Social Emotional Learning through free play and interaction with other students. Funding will help pay for staffing of this program.  

Additional Funding: The District has diligently followed the CDC guidelines on cleanliness, air quality, and distancing. However, when it comes to distancing we are limited to the number and size of classrooms. The District will use some of the additional funding to focus on facilities and transportation with student spacing at the forefront of the projects. Some of the additional funding will be targeted at hiring an additional nurse to assist with daily health activities of our 4200 students, and some of the funding has been pledged to staff as additional compensation.

Gaining Public Input: At its July 20 Board of Education meeting, the District presented its plan for ESSER III expenditures. Following the presentation, the Board allowed for public comment. The District will communicate that the approved ESSER III plan will be available on the District website for viewing and that the Administration will take questions at the Board of Education meetings.

• 46.43% towards Learning Loss

• 7.34% towards Summer Enrichment

• 7.34% towards After-School Programming

• 38.89% towards items designed to reopen school safely, maximize in-person instructional time, and address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, educators, and families 

• Expenditures to include:

  • Salaries and Benefits for staff members to provide interventions, remote learning, after-school care, social/emotional interventions and network security.  The goal of additional staff is to provide continuity in learning and interventions for student success.

  • Professional Development will be targeted towards research based best practices focused on social emotional learning, co-teaching, and instructional methods to close the achievement gap and provide for student growth.

  • Software purchases to provide additional learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom.

  • Maintenance/Construction projects to improve air quality and finish spaces in buildings to increase the overall space for students.

  • Fleet vehicles including SUV's, busses and activity busses to provide students more space, equitable access to programs, mobile classroom / mobile hotspots, etc.

  • Necessary technology supplies to provide instructional devices to remove language barriers, provide for increased security and safety within the district buildings.