American Rescue Plan (ARP) and Community Feedback
ESSER III (ARP Act) and Community Feedback
Updated 10/3/23
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021, to speed up the US recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession.
The funds are intended to address the many impacts of COVID-19 on students, including from interrupted instruction; implement strategies to meet students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs; offer crucial summer, afterschool, and other extended learning and enrichment programs; support early childhood education; invest in staff capacity; and avoid devasting layoffs at this critical moment, ensuring that all students have access to teachers, counselors, and other school personnel to support their needs.
These grant funds are available through September 30, 2023, with a Tydings (Carryover) period through September 30, 2024.
Columbia County has received a budget of $20,183,882 is ESSER III (ARP) funding. CCSD has created a plan for the spending of these federal funds and will continue to consider stakeholder input as the plan evolves and is implemented. All expenditures within the budget are subject to approval at the local and state levels. Columbia County tentatively plans to use the ESSER III (ARP) funds in the following ways:
- Additional Multi-Tiered Support Specialists (MTSS), Support Counselors, and Special Education Specialists to provide targeted support to struggling and/or at-risk students;
- Salaries, supplies, and transportation for summer enrichment;
- Educational technology (including hardware, software, and connectivity elements);
- Salaries for tutoring;
- After-school vouchers to assist with tutoring
- Reading intervention materials