American Rescue Plan
What Is the American Rescue Plan?
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) has presented school districts across the country with an incredible opportunity. Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is receiving approximately $207 million to be used over the next three years for COVID-19 response efforts and to address long-term student outcomes that have been impacted by the pandemic.
ARP is the last of the federal funding allotments, totaling $334 million, that SPPS is receiving during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which must be used to:
SPPS is committed to providing sustainable resources to schools and students, improving teaching and learning, and ensuring a safe return to school for all students and staff. In the coming months and years, supporting students will mean investing in not only their education, but in their human potential to be resilient, adaptive, courageous and successful. These funds present an opportunity for SPPS to be innovative, try new things, and prepare our students for the future while supporting our staff in providing effective instruction, social-emotional learning, health and wellness support, and addressing academic and enrichment gaps within our communities.
ARP Updates
Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is starting to see results after the first full year of American Rescue Plan (ARP) spending. The district received $207 million in federal funds to safely reopen schools and address long-term student outcomes that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live dashboards tracking the budgets, spending and school-level implementation of SPPS's American Rescue Plan strategies are now available.
Saint Paul Public Schools was one of a select number of districts featured in the U.S. Department of Education's Back-to-School Checklist for Parents.
Superintendent Joe Gothard and Board of Education Chair Jim Vue provided testimony about how the district is planning to spend its $206.9 million allotment of ARP funds.
SPPS received final approval from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on the district’s plan for spending $207 million in federal funds to safely reopen schools and address long-term student outcomes that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Saint Paul Public Schools Board of Education approved the district’s plan for spending its American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds over the next three years.
Minnesota’s plan details how the state is using and plans to use ARP ESSER funds to safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most.
Saint Paul Public Schools has spent the past several months gathering input and creating plans for how the district will spend its American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds over the next three school years.
As part of Saint Paul Public Schools’ work to serve students during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, SPPS meaningfully engaged with a wide range of stakeholders in a needs assessment over the course of the 2020-21 school year.
SPPS is committed to ensuring that multiple perspectives have been and will continue to be included in prioritizing the use of these funds. The forums will be held virtually and are open to all SPPS families.
Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) announced today it will receive approximately $334 million in federal funding for COVID-19 response efforts and to address long-term student outcomes that have been impacted by the pandemic.
SPPS is seeking community partners to provide targeted services to Saint Paul students and families, with a focus on those most impacted by COVID-19. The district has allocated $7 million of its American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to this effort.
Additional Resources
- SPPS ARP Spending & Impact Summary (January 2024)
- SPPS ARP 2022-23 Year in Review
- SPPS ARP 2021-22 Year in Review
- SPPS ARP At-a-Glance Infographic (April 2022)
- SPPS Final ARP Spending Brief (January 2022)
- SPPS ARP Stakeholder Input Summary - September 2021
- SPPS ARP Needs Assessment Summary - June 2021
- SPPS COVID Relief Federal Funding Brief
- SPPS Achieves Strategic Plan
- ESSER III Spending Plans (Minnesota Department of Education)
- Funding State Education Priorities (Minnesota Department of Education)
- Frequently Asked Questions about ESSER and GEER Programs (U.S. Department of Education)
- American Rescue Plan Fact Sheet (U.S. Department of Education)
- 2021 ED COVID-19 Handbook (U.S. Department of Education)
- Investing American Rescue Plan Funds Strategically and Effectively (Council of the Great City Schools)