In response to the devastating economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed two stimulus packages: the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).
The Middleburgh Central School District will receive $1,965,621 in ARPA funding and $602,674 in CRRSAA funding.
Plan Summary: MCS will offer an advisory program at the Jr. / Sr. High School in addition to offering an extra period of skill building in the elementary school referred to as WIN time or What I Need. Also, a comprehensive tutoring program will be offered to help struggling learners catch up with skills and improve their grades. The tutoring will be by MCS certified staff and transportation will be provided.
Please note, the decisions about specific ways to use stimulus funding to improve our student programming and facilities were formed, in part, by parent questions and feedback secured through monthly Virtually Speaking forums. The district encourages the community to provide ideas at any time by reaching out to our Business Administrator, Ms. Robyn Bhend
To request a hard copy of the plan, please contact the Superintendent’s Office at (518) 827-3600 x3625.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Funding Available Through Sept, 30, 2024
On March 11, 2021, the President signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The 2021-22 enacted New York state budget includes language requiring each local school district receiving federal ARP-ESSER funds 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 district 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, after-school, and other extended learning and enrichment programs; and
- Supporting early childhood education
Districts also 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.
Middleburgh Central School District will receive $1,965,621 in ARPA funding. The funding and related expenditures will be accounted for separately from the school district general fund budget.
Our district must reserve (or set-aside) specific sums of our ARPA allocation for required programs and services. Those reserves include:
- Remediation and Learning Loss Programming: $748,137 (over 3 years)
- Summer Enrichment Programming: $149,632 (over 3 years)
- After-school Programming: $149,632 (over 3 years)
Beyond those required reserves, the district intends to expend ARPA funds during the following school year(s): 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24* (*through September 30, 2024). The district anticipates expending ARPA funds on the following eligible programs, services, and expenditures:
- Summer programming for students
- Expanded before and after-school programming for students
- Programs supporting students’ academic needs, including impact of COVID-19 on students’ continuity of instruction and learning
- Purchase of computers, tablets, and other instructional technology
- Programs supporting students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs
- Upgrades to school heating/cooling/ventilation systems
- Other upgrades and improvements to school facilities related to staff and student health, safety, and wellness
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)
Funding Available Through September 30, 2023
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act 2021 (CRRSA), was signed into law on December 27, 2020. Largely unrestricted, CRRSAA funds may be used to support a broad range of programs and activities including:
- Activities to address the unique needs of low-income children or students, students with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care, 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 districts during times of pandemic or other public health emergencies.
- Training and professional development for staff on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases; purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean district facilities.
- Planning for, coordinating, and implementing activities during long-term closures, including providing meals to eligible students, providing technology for online learning to all students, providing guidance for carrying out requirements under the IDEA and ensuring other education services can continue to be provided consistent with all Federal, State, and local requirements.
- Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, and connectivity) for students that aids in regular and substantive educational interaction between students and their classroom instructors, including low-income students and students with disabilities.
- Providing mental health services and supports, including through the implementation of evidence-based full-service community schools.
- Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and enrichment 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 and youth in foster care.
- Addressing the academic impact of lost instructional time for students, including low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care.
- School facility repairs and improvements to enable operation of schools to reduce risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards, and to support student health and wellness needs.
- Inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities, including mechanical and non-mechanical heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, filtering, purification and other air cleaning, fans, control systems, and window and door repair and replacement.
- Developing strategies and implementing public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the CDC for the reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff.
- The provision of child care and early childhood education.
- The provision of social and emotional support programs.
- The protection of education-related jobs.
- The provision of educational services to students.
- The maintenance of the ongoing functionality of the local educational agency.
- Other activities that are necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services in the district and continuing to employ existing staff of the district.
In addition, a district may also use CRRSSA funds for any activity authorized by the ESEA of 1965, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
The Middleburgh Central School District expects to receive $602,674 in CRRSAA funding. The funding and related expenditures will be accounted for separately from the school district general fund budget.
CRRSAA funds will be utilized (a) to reimburse the district for expenditures and losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years and (b) to fund eligible expenses during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.
Here is an overview of eligible CRRSAA expenses we anticipate during the 2021-22 school year.
Reimbursement for prior-year eligible expenses including:
2020-21 school year
- Additional instructional staff/cost due to remote learning
- Extended day and summer school academic support for students
Expenditures on the following eligible expenses:
2021-22 and 2022-23 school years
- Expanded home/school liaison and mental health supports for students
- Expanded support for all students, including students with special needs
Additional remedial supports and/or class size reduction - Summer school academic support (including transportation)
- Professional Development for administrators, faculty, and staff related to students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs
- Purchase of educational technology including hardware, software, and connectivity
- Campus health, safety, and recreation enhancements
- Other eligible expenses intended to provide additional academic and social-emotional support for students resulting from interrupted learning during the pandemic
Additional Documents
ARP ESSER 3 – ALL CURRENT DOCUMENTATION – SPRING 2023
ARP LEARNING LOSS – ALL CURRENT DOCUMENTATION – SUMMER 2023
ARP AFTER SCHOOL – ALL CURRENT DOCUMENTATION – SPRING 2023
ARP SUMMER – ALL CURRENT DOCUMENTATION – SPRING 2023