ARP ESSER Plans

ARP ESSER Funding Plan

July 30, 2021; Last updated December 13, 2022

Albemarle County Public Schools
401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 296-5820 | Website: www.k12albemarle.org

Click here to open a printable PDF version of this plan.

Section 1: Introduction

The purpose of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Fund is to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on the nation’s students by addressing students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) has been awarded $11,483,545 in ESSER III funds. This plan describes how the awarded funds will be used. Questions about this plan should be directed to Jackson Zimmermann, School Finance Officer, at jzimmerm@k12albemarle.org. 

ACPS has organized our response to the impacts of COVID-19 on our community’s students according to the following three phases:

1. Relief: Give schools urgent resources so that they can provide effective instruction and supports at scale during the pandemic.
2. Recovery: Provide extra investments to help students and schools respond to the needs created by the prolonged crisis as we return to in-school operations.
3. Rebuilding: Redesign the system to focus on nurturing the whole child, balancing cognitive with socioemotional skill development and ensuring that all children have access to the conditions and resources that enhance learning and development.

In tandem with other funding sources, ARP funding will be a critical component of supporting these response and recovery efforts.

Section 2: Prevention and Mitigation Strategies

ARP Act ESSER III funds may be used to implement prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent practicable, consistent with the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on reopening schools, in order to continuously and safely open and operate schools for in-person learning. ACPS will use approximately $4,308,545 of its ARP Act ESSER III funds to implement the following prevention and mitigation strategies:

• Improve ventilation in buildings and on school buses;
• Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, students and visitors;
• Purchase desks and store excess furniture to allow for social distancing in classrooms;
• Purchase and install outdoor tents;
• Establish COVID-19 testing clinics for staff; and
• Install mobile classrooms to provide additional space for social distancing and supporting in-person instruction.

This funding will be used in conjunction with other funding sources to fully implement additional recommended prevention and mitigation strategies such as enhanced cleaning and disinfection, hand sanitation, etc.

Section 3: Addressing Unfinished Learning

Section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act requires each Local Education Agency (LEA) to use at least 20% of its formula funds to address the academic impact of lost instructional time (learning loss) through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive after-school, or extended school year programs. ACPS will use approximately $6,075,000 of its ARP Act ESSER III funds to address unfinished learning as described below:

• Provide expanded academic and enrichment programming for summer.
• Purchase vans for each elementary and middle school to increase access to after-school intervention and enrichment activities.
• Add an additional full-time counseling position at each school dedicated to coordinating mental health support, family engagement, and a Check & Connect program for additional mentoring support.
• Add staffing to reduce class size at each school and promote more individualized teacher attention.

Section 4: Other Uses of Funds

Section 2001(e) of the ARP Act permits school divisions to use the ARP Act ESSER III funding not reserved to address unfinished learning due to the impacts of COVID-19 in a variety of ways. ACPS will use approximately $1,100,000 of its ARP Act ESSER III funds in accordance with Section 2001(e) of the ARP Act as described below:

• Form and staff a fully virtual school for the 2021-22 school year for families who choose this option.

Section 5: Addressing Students’ Academic, Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs

ACPS will provide summer learning opportunities targeting students identified as at-risk learners. During the summer, our students in kindergarten through eighth grade are participating in project- and problem-based, hands-on learning, while our students in grades 9-12 are completing courses from the previous school year, allowing participants to continue into the next academic year with their peers.

As detailed in previous sections, ACPS will provide additional staffing and expand transportation in support of academic, social and emotional learning as well as mental health. We will target these services to all students who are identified during the school year as needing just-in-time interventions (the right support at the right time). Support will begin as soon as the need is identified.

Section 6: Consultation with Stakeholders and Opportunity for Public Comment

In developing the ARP ESSER Plan, ACPS conducted consultation in the following ways:

• We hosted multiple community conversations with staff, students, families, and special populations (our Latinx community, for example) focused on COVID-19 recovery efforts.
• We surveyed our school community, including employees, students and families, about our plans for the 2021-22 school year.
• We presented the plan for ARP funding at a public school board meeting.
• We surveyed our school community to collect input on the ARP funding plan. Our July 2021 survey described three areas for use of funds that correspond to the ARP: prevention and mitigation strategies; addressing unfinished learning; and addressing students’ academic, social and emotional, and mental health needs. A summary of comments and suggestions from 964 responses to our survey is available on our ARP ESSER Plans web page.

In amending and updating the plan, ACPS utilized data collected during our annual budget development process, which included student, employee and family forums and a community survey.

Section 7: Making the Plan Available to the Public

ACPS has taken the following steps to make this plan available to the public:

• The plan is posted on the ACPS website at https://www.k12albemarle.org/our-departments/fiscal-services/2021-22-arp-esser-funding-plan.
• Through use of the drop-down menu of our web translation tool, the plan may be viewed on our website in any of eight languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Swahili, and Chinese.
• The plan may be orally interpreted for parents. Contact the International & ESOL Welcome Center at (434) 296-6517 or ESOLinterpretation@k12albemarle.org to request interpretation.
• Upon request, a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be provided with the plan in an alternative format accessible by contacting the Department of Special Education & Student Services at (434) 296-5885 or by emailing SPEDhelp@k12albemarle.org.

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Archive

• ARP ESSER Funding Plan (as of July 30, 2021)

2022-23 Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction
(ARP ESSER III Funds)

Last updated November 18, 2022

Albemarle County Public Schools
401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 296-5820 | Website: www.k12albemarle.org

Click here to open a printable PDF version of this plan.

Section 1: Introduction

The purpose of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Fund is to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on the nation’s students by addressing students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The following “Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction” describes how Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other school and division staff during and following the return to full in-person instruction. Questions about this plan should be directed to Rosalyn Schmitt, Chief Operating Officer, at rschmitt@k12albemarle.org.

Since schools closed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our goal has been to get back to five days of full-time, in-person instruction. We took steps toward that goal as we progressed through the various stages of our reopening plan during the 2020-21 school year. ACPS opened the 2021-22 school year with five days per week of in-person learning at all of our schools and offered a full-day virtual learning experience for students in grades K-12 who choose to enroll in our Virtual School. The 2022-23 school year opened with five days of full-time, in-person instruction.

Section 2: Maintaining Health and Safety

ACPS has taken and will continue to take actions to ensure the health and safety of students, educators, and other school and division staff during and following the return to full in-person instruction. ACPS will continue to follow mitigation guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the Blue Ridge Health District (BRHD). Our Mitigation Strategies web page includes specific safety practices, policies and videos that address areas referenced below and others.

• Masks: ACPS will provide masks (KN95, cloth or disposable) to students and employees upon request. Masks are not required, but they are encouraged when someone is immunocompromised or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or has a known exposure to COVID-19, or when recommended by the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Level for Albemarle County.
• Hand Hygiene: Everyone is encouraged to wash or sanitize their hands frequently during the day. Hand sanitizing dispensers and/or sinks are available in multiple areas of each building and on each school bus.
• Cleaning: Throughout the day, custodial staff disinfect high-touch surfaces. At night, custodians clean and disinfect classrooms and other spaces that were used during the day. Disinfecting wipes are available in all occupied classrooms for use by students and employees, as needed.
• Ventilation: Air purifiers with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are used in all classrooms, clinics, and school buses.
• Daily Health Screening: All students and employees should use our Daily Health Screening tool to decide if they should attend school or report to work. Anyone who is sick should stay home.
• Response to a Confirmed Case: Guidance on reporting a confirmed case, outbreaks, and quarantine and isolation are detailed on our Mitigation Strategies web page.
• Coordination with state and local health officials: ACPS regularly partners with our local health department and medical professionals, including participating in weekly meetings and ongoing discussion about current guidance on mitigation strategies.

Section 3: Continuity of Services

ACPS has taken and will continue to take actions to ensure continuity of services, including, but not limited to, services to address the academic needs of students and the social, emotional, and mental health needs and other needs of students and staff. Through implementation of the mitigation strategies listed above and detailed on our Mitigation Strategies web page, ACPS can offer in-person learning to students. In-person learning offers the best strategy for continuity of services. Also, ACPS will use funding from this grant to provide smaller class sizes that support the academic and social needs of students. An additional mental health/guidance counselor is being provided at each school to support students’ social, emotional and mental health.

Section 4: Opportunity for Public Comment

In developing the ARP ESSER Plan, ACPS sought public input and took such input into account as follows:

Beginning in the fall of 2020 and continuing throughout the 2020-21 school year, ACPS hosted multiple virtual meetings and programs designed to obtain input from parents, students and teachers to inform our stages of returning to in-person instruction and to guide our health and safety practices. Parents received and completed surveys, selected instruction preferences, and provided public comment during school board meetings to guide ACPS implementation of the best instructional practices in light of CDC-guided COVID-19 health and safety methodology and student needs. A survey specifically aimed at obtaining ARP Plan recommendations from our community was administered in July 2021. Survey results were used in formulating our 2021-22 ARP ESSER Funding Plan, with emphasis on learning recovery and meeting the academic, health and safety needs of our school communities.

Section 5: Periodic Review and Revision of Plan

During the period of the ARP ESSER award (until September 2023), ACPS will periodically review and, as needed, revise its plan for safe in-person instruction and continuity of services. The plan will be reviewed at least every six months, and ACPS will seek and take into account public input during the review process. Plan revisions will address updated CDC guidance on safely reopening schools, if any are issued.

Section 6: Making the Plan Available to the Public

ACPS has taken the following steps to make this plan available to the public:

• The plan is posted on the ACPS website at https://www.k12albemarle.org/our-departments/fiscal-services/2021-22-arp-esser-funding-plan.
• Through use of the drop-down menu of our web translation tool, the plan may be viewed on our website in any of eight languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Swahili, and Chinese.
• The plan may be orally interpreted for parents. Contact the International & ESOL Welcome Center at (434) 296-6517 or ESOLinterpretation@k12albemarle.org to request interpretation.
• Upon request, a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be provided with the plan in an alternative format accessible by contacting the Department of Special Education & Student Services at (434) 296-5885 or by emailing SPEDhelp@k12albemarle.org.

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Archive

• 2021-22 Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction

Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) School Division/LEA ARP ESSER Spending Plan

December 13, 2022

Click here to open a printable PDF version of this plan.

Introduction

On October 24, 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin and state education leaders presented to the public a summary of the 2022 National Assessment of Education Progress data for Virginia. The data indicate that Virginia had the most significant declines in reading and mathematics in the nation. Our Commitment to Virginia’s Children is a seven step action plan to reverse the downward path of declining achievement and ensure that all children in Virginia have the tools and support structure to get back on track.

In Action Seven of the action plan, Governor Youngkin challenges school divisions to spend all of their remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds on proven efforts to recover learning like: supplementing learning through instruction before school, after school, on weekends, and in the summer; providing direct support to families to access tutoring; extending the school year; and rewarding those teachers and schools that make the greatest impact on student learning with performance bonuses. Action Seven also directs the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to require all school divisions to reengage the public in consultation and to update their American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER spending plans, as initially required by federal regulation, by December 31, 2022.

To meet the requirement to update the ARP ESSER spending plan, each school division/Local Educational Agency (LEA) must complete all sections of this template. The completed template must be made publicly available on the LEA website by December 31, 2022. The Office of Federal Pandemic Relief Programs will monitor the public posting of updated plans on LEA websites and the alignment of updated plans with LEAs’ applications for ARP ESSER funds. Questions about this template should be directed to vdoefederalrelief@doe.virginia.gov.

Section 1: General Information

A. School Division/LEA Name: Albemarle County Public Schools
B. Division Number: 002
C. Contact Name: Debora Collins
D. Contact Email: dcollins@k12albemarle.org
E. Contact Phone #: 434-296-5820
F. Amount of ARP ESSER funding allocated to LEA: $11,483.544.93

Section 2: Transparency and Accessibility

A. LEA webpage where plan is posted (provide URL):

https://www.k12albemarle.org/our-departments/fiscal-services/2021-22-arp-esser-funding-plan

B. Describe how the plan is, to the extent practicable, written in a language that parents can understand, or if not practicable, will be orally translated for parents with limited English proficiency:

Through use of the drop-down menu of our web translation tool, the plan may be viewed on our website in any of eight languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Swahili, and Chinese. The plan may be orally interpreted for parents by contacting the ESOL Welcome Center at (434) 296-6517 or ESOLinterpretation@k12albemarle.org.

C. Describe how the plan will be provided upon request in an alternative accessible format to a parent who is an individual with a disability:

The plan may be orally interpreted for parents by contacting the ESOL Welcome Center at (434) 296-6517 or ESOLinterpretation@k12albemarle.org. And, upon request, a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be provided with the plan in an alternative format accessible by contacting the Department of Special Education & Student Services at (434) 296-5885 or by emailing SPEDhelp@k12albemarle.org.

Section 3: Opportunity for Public Comment

A. Describe how the LEA provided the public the opportunity to provide input on the updated ARP ESSER spending plan since initial submission in August 2021, with emphasis on the 2022-2023 school year:

ACPS used systems and structures already in place to gather feedback, which include School Board meetings, Forums, and Feedback Evenings for families, students, and staff members. In amending and updating our ARP ESSER plan, ACPS utilized data collected during our annual budget development cycles, which included student, employee and family forums and a community survey.

B. Describe how the LEA took public input since August 2021 into account:

ACPS hosted multiple community forums, which included staff, parents, students, and community. Data and information were collected from these forums. As noted above, the budget development process involved a community survey and community forums, from which applicable data was reviewed and assimilated into current plans.

Section 4: Consultation with Stakeholders

Describe how the LEA consulted with each stakeholder group below. If a stakeholder group is not present in the LEA, indicate Not Applicable in the description of consultation conducted. If the LEA conducted a survey as a consultation method, provide a summary of the survey results as an Appendix to this spending plan.

A. Students

Description of consultation conducted: Panorama data, Check & Connect, Community Engagement Forums, Budget forums & surveys, Feedback Sessions
Uses consulted on: Emotional/Social Conditions for Learning & Learning Recovery
Feedback received: Student Mental Health

B. Families

Description of consultation conducted: Budget forums & surveys, Community Engagement Forums, Check & Connect, Feedback Sessions
Uses consulted on: Learning Recovery, Staff Funding, Emotional/Social conditions for learning
Feedback received: Student Mental Health

C. School and district administrators including special education administrators

Description of consultation conducted: Budget forums and surveys, Leadership meetings, Evening Feedback Sessions, Community Engagement Forums
Uses consulted on: Learning Recovery Methods, Funding Choices, Social/Emotional Health
Feedback received: Student Mental Health

D. Teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and their union

Description of consultation conducted: Meetings, Community Engagement Forums, Surveys, Feedback sessions, Budget Forums and Surveys
Uses consulted on: Learning Recovery methods, Funding choices, Social/Emotional Health
Feedback received: Intervention Services, Student Mental Health

E. Tribes, if applicable: N/A

Description of consultation conducted:
Uses consulted on:
Feedback received:

F. Civil rights organizations, including disability rights organizations

Description of consultation conducted: Invitations to Community Engagement Forums, Feedback Sessions to Superintendent
Uses consulted on:
Feedback received:

G. Stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities, English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, migratory students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved services

Description of consultation conducted: Invitations to Community Engagement Forums, Feedback Sessions to Superintendent
Uses consulted on:
Feedback received:

H. Community based organizations, including partnerships to promote access to before and after-school programming

Description of consultation conducted: Invitations to Community Engagement Forums, Feedback Sessions to Superintendent
Uses consulted on:
Feedback received:

I. Early childhood education providers and families, including partnerships to ensure access to and continuity of care for families with children of different ages, particularly as they transition to school

Description of consultation conducted: Invitations to Community Engagement Forums, Feedback Sessions to Superintendent
Uses consulted on:
Feedback received:

Section 5: Addressing Learning Loss (recommended to be 100% of an LEA’s remaining allocation and must be at least 20% of an LEA’s allocation per federal statute)

Section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act requires each LEA to use at least twenty percent of its formula funds to address the academic impact of lost instructional time (learning loss) through the implementation of evidence-based interventions. Governor’s Challenge: In Action Seven of Our Commitment to Virginia’s Children, Governor Youngkin challenges LEAs to spend all of their remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds on proven efforts to recover learning, such as: supplementing learning through instruction before school, after school, on weekends, and in the summer; providing direct support to families to access tutoring; extending the school year; and rewarding those teachers and schools that make the greatest impact on student learning with performance bonuses.

A. Describe how the LEA identified learning loss, including among student groups most likely to have experienced the impact of lost instructional time such as students from low-income families, students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and migratory students:

SOLs, WIDA Testing, Special Education Testing, reading and math assessments, formative and summative assessments, and monitoring, and SEL Counselor Check & Connect approach.

B. Provide a detailed description of how the LEA used or will use the funds it reserves to implement evidence-based interventions to address learning loss:

Increased staffing for reduced student to staff instructional ratios including TAs, Teachers; Social Emotional Learning Counselors in school years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. Summer School transportation costs support in 2021. We emphasize SEL Counselors due to evidence that academic success is tied to student emotional and social conditions. We have purchased vans for each elementary and middle school to provide transportation for after school tutoring programs.

C. Describe how the LEA produces evidence of the effectiveness of evidence-based learning loss interventions employed:

Analysis of SOLs, WIDA Testing, Special Education Testing, reading and math assessments, formative and summative assessments, and monitoring data.

D. Amount of ARP ESSER funds to address learning loss: $6,075,000

Section 6: Other Uses of Funds

Section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act permits LEAs to use the ARP ESSER III funds not reserved to address learning loss to address needs arising from or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, allowable ESSER activities must meet the guidelines below.

• The use of funds must be intended to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including its impact on the social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of students;
• The use of funds must fall under one of the authorized uses of ESSER funds; and
• The use of funds must be permissible under the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR Part 200). In particular, the use of funds must be deemed necessary and reasonable for the performance of the ESSER award.

A. Describe how the LEA used or will use funds to support teacher and staff retention and recruitment strategies

a. Total number of new staff hired with ARP ESSER funds:

1. In school year 2021-22, 24 FTEs for additional teachers and TA’s were funded; 16 FTEs for SEL counselors & student support specialists were funded.
2. In school year 2022-23, 24 FTEs for SEL counselors were funded.
3. For school year 2023-24, it is planned that 15-20 FTEs for SEL Counselors will be funded.
(Note: These positions are referenced also in Section 5 and the associated funding is not included in this “Other Uses” category.)

b. Plan to retain staff hired with ARP ESSER funds after September 30, 2024:

SEL positions will be retained beyond the three years of ARP funding.

B. Describe the extent to which the LEA used or will use ARP ESSER funds to implement prevention and mitigation strategies in order to continuously and safely operate schools for in-person learning:

1. Improve ventilation in buildings and on school buses; provide HVAC technician dedicated solely to servicing air purifiers.
2. Provide PPE for staff, students and visitors.
3. Purchase desks and move and store excess furniture to allow for social distancing in classrooms.
4. Purchase and install outdoor tents.
5. Establish COVID-19 testing clinics for staff; provide COVID Nurse Coordinator in 2021-2022.
6. Install mobile classrooms to provide additional space for social distancing and supporting in-person instruction at our highest population schools.
7. Sanitization systems and products.

C. If the LEA used or will use ARP ESSER funds for HVAC, renovation, or other capital projects, describe each project, including whether the LEAs has requested and received approval for the project: N/A

D. If the LEA used or will use ARP ESSER funds for uses other than those listed above, describe below:

Virtual School principal and instructional staff in school year 2021-2022 and Kajeet devices and hotspots to support virtual instruction; hourly wages for grant administrator.

E. Amount of ARP ESSER funds for the uses above (A. through D.): $5,408,545

Section 7: Budget

Category	Description	Learning Loss Y/N	Budget	Amount Obligated	Amount Spent	Amount Remaining
Other	Virtual School Principal, Teachers, TAs 2021-22	NO	905,000	853,471.93	853,471.93	51,528.07
Other	Added Teachers, TAs 2021-22	YES	850,000	812,578.81	812,578.81	37,421.19
Other	SEL Counselors, Student support specialists 2021-22; SEL Counselors 2022-2024	YES	2,937,000	2,937,000	881,522.27	2,055,477.73
Other	COVID Nurse Coordinator, Air Purifier Technician, PT Grant Administrator	NO	153,000	139,993.16	54,434.88	98,565.12
Other	Benefits, instructional staff (includes Virtual School)	YES	1,793,056	1,793,056	819,518.66	973,537.34
Other	Benefits non-instructional staff	NO	39,804	39,804	14,975.16	24,828.84
Other	Kajeet Hotspots, Devices for Virtual Instruction	NO	84,375	84,375	84,375	0
Other	COVID Testing and associated supplies, equipment	NO	480,995	480,995	480,995	0
Other	On-site & central Storage rentals, moving costs, utilities	NO	495,760	495,760	495,760	0
Other	Tents, tent installation costs	NO	80,125	80,125	71,375	8,750
Other	Mobile classrooms, including site development, construction supplies/equipment, required installation/development costs, technology	NO	1,378,835	1,378,835	1,378,835	0
Other	Sanitizing systems, products, PPE, Air purifiers & service & filters, HEPA systems for buses	NO	1,044,156	807,409	807,409	236,747
Before and After School	Vans and required equipment (booster seats, cameras)	YES	653,000	653,000	485,625	167,375
Summer School	Bus Transportation, Summer School 2021	YES	117,347	117,347	117,347	0
Other	Desks, chairs, tables, equipment for mobile classrooms, tents, classrooms	NO	471,092	471,092	471,092	0
			11,483,545		TOTAL:	3,654,230.29