THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTHBOROUGH AND SOUTHBOROUGH
ESSER III OVERVIEW
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2, was enacted on March 11, 2021. The ARP Act provides additional funding for school districts to respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The education portion of ARP is known as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER III or ARP ESSER).
- States receive ESSER III funds based on their share of total Title I funding. Then, states allocate and distribute 90 percent of funds to districts based on each district's share of Title I in FY21.
- The period of performance is through 9/30/2024.
- ESSER III requires how funds must be spent and what reports/plans must be made available, including:
- District Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction
- Robust consultation with district stakeholders to determine priorities
- At least 20% of the award must be spent on mitigating lost instructional time
- Must comply with "Maintenance of Equity" provision
Of the total amount allocated to a district from the State’s ARP ESSER award, the district must reserve at least 20 percent of funds to address learning loss 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 (each major racial and ethnic group, children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, gender, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care).
Remaining funds may be used for a wide range of activities to address needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic, including any activity authorized by the ESEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), or Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins CTE). Specifically, ARP ESSER funds may be used to develop strategies and implement public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on reopening and operating schools to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff, as well as:
- coordinating preparedness and response efforts with State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19;
- training and professional development on sanitizing and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases;
- purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the district’s facilities;
- repairing and improving school facilities to reduce risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards;
- improving indoor air quality;
- addressing the needs of children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth;
- developing and implementing procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of districts;
- planning for or implementing activities during long-term closures, including providing meals to eligible students and providing technology for online learning;
- purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, connectivity, assistive technology, and adaptive equipment) for students that aids in regular and substantive educational interaction between students and their classroom instructors, including students from low-income families and children with disabilities;
- providing mental health services and supports, including through the implementation of evidence-based full-service community schools and the hiring of counselors;
- planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and supplemental after-school programs;
- addressing learning loss; and
- other activities that are necessary to maintain operation of and continuity of and services, including continuing to employ existing or hiring new district and school staff.
The District solicited feedback from stakeholders through meetings with the Northborough/Southborough Special Education Parents Advisory Council and the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee. A survey was also created and sent to staff, families, and the community.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTHBOROUGH
ESSER III Allocation $349,517
NORTHBOROUGH | ESSER III BUDGET (210) | DESCRIPTION |
Classroom Amplification Systems | $91,410.00 | Classroom amplification systems will improve student access to instruction by making classroom teachers easier to hear and understand. These systems are especially beneficial while teachers are masked, and for English learners and students with certain disabilities. |
Curriculum - SEL & Health | $70,000.00 | The District will purchase high-quality, aligned instructional materials, curriculum resources and assessment tools in the areas of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Health. |
Curriculum Implementation Professional Development | $4,400.00 | Professional Development activities to support the implementation of new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Health resources. |
Early Literacy Screener & Decodable Texts | $13,707.00 | The District will implement an Early Literacy Screener and purchase decodable texts to support evidence-based instructional practices |
Executive Functioning | $50,000.00 | The District intends to increase educator knowledge and skills related to supporting students' development of executive functioning through high-quality professional development. |
Translation Services | $50,000.00 | The translation services will increase the amount of resources that are translated for students and families. |
Tutoring Materials | $5,000.00 | Materials for use in supporting the tutoring program. |
Tutoring Program | $65,000.00 | The tutoring program will include mathematics and English Language Arts and will focus on students identified through assessment data. |
ESSER III TOTAL | $349,517.00 | |
*Grant closing date - 9/30/2024 |
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTHBOROUGH
The District is allocating funds based on student needs as identified using local assessment data and data from the Early Warning Indicatory System (EWIS). The District will also use the results from the District Equity Audit to identify areas where equity of opportunity for students need to be addressed.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF SOUTHBOROUGH
ESSER III Allocation $281,464
SOUTHBOROUGH | ESSER III BUDGET (310) | DESCRIPTION |
Classroom Amplification Systems | $60,940.00 | Classroom amplification systems will improve student access to instruction by making classroom teachers easier to hear and understand. These systems are especially beneficial while teachers are masked, and for English learners and students with certain disabilities. |
Curriculum - SEL & Health | $65,000.00 | The District will purchase high-quality, aligned instructional materials, curriculum resources and assessment tools in the areas of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Health. |
Curriculum Implementation Professional Development | $4,867.00 | Professional Development activities to support the implementation of new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Health resources. |
Early Literacy Screener & Decodable Texts | $10,657.00 | The District will implement an Early Literacy Screener and purchase decodable texts to support evidence-based instructional practices |
Executive Functioning | $50,000.00 | The District intends to increase educator knowledge and skills related to supporting students' development of executive functioning through high-quality professional development. |
Translation Services | $30,000.00 | The translation services will increase the amount of resources that are translated for students and families. |
Tutoring Materials | $5,000.00 | Materials for use in supporting the tutoring program. |
Tutoring Program | $55,000.00 | The tutoring program will include mathematics and English Language Arts and will focus on students identified through assessment data. |
ESSER III TOTAL | $281,464.00 | |
*Grant closing date - 9/30/2024 |
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF SOUTHBOROUGH
The District is allocating funds based on student needs as identified using local assessment data and data from the Early Warning Indicatory System (EWIS). The District will also use the results from the District Equity Audit to identify areas where equity of opportunity for students need to be addressed.
NORTHBOROUGH-SOUTHBOROUGH REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
ESSER III Allocation $211,739
NORTHBOROUGH-SOUTHBOROUGH REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | ESSER III BUDGET (418) | DESCRIPTION |
Classroom Amplification Systems | $30,470.00 | Classroom amplification systems will improve student access to instruction by making classroom teachers easier to hear and understand. These systems are especially beneficial while teachers are masked, and for English learners and students with certain disabilities. |
Curriculum - SEL & Health | $45,000.00 | The District will purchase high-quality, aligned instructional materials, curriculum resources and assessment tools in the areas of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Health. |
Curriculum Implementation Professional Development | $3,190.00 | Professional Development activities to support the implementation of new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Health resources. |
Executive Functioning | $50,000.00 | The District intends to increase educator knowledge and skills related to supporting students' development of executive functioning through high-quality professional development. |
Translation Services | $40,000.00 | The translation services will increase the amount of resources that are translated for students and families. |
Tutoring Materials | $5,000.00 | Materials for use in supporting the tutoring program. |
Tutoring Program | $38,079.00 | The tutoring program will target mathematics and will focus on students identified through assessment data. |
ESSER III TOTAL | $211,739.00 |
NORTHBOROUGH-SOUTHBOROUGH REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
The District is allocating funds based on student needs as identified using local assessment data and data from the Early Warning Indicatory System (EWIS). The District will also use the results from the District Equity Audit to identify areas where equity of opportunity for students need to be addressed.
