Frequently Asked Questions

The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund was enacted on March 11, 2021, under the ARP Act. ARP ESSER provides a total of nearly $122 billion to help states and school districts: 

• safely reopen schools
• sustain safe operation of schools, and 
• address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students

In addition to ARP ESSER, the ARP Act includes $3 billion for special education, $850 million for the Outlying Areas, $2.75 billion to support non-public schools, and additional funding for homeless children and youth, Tribal educational agencies, Native Hawaiians and Alaska Natives.

Resources: 

• American Rescue Plan Fact Sheet (U.S. Department of Education)
• 2021 ED COVID-19 Handbook (U.S. Department of Education)

SPPS is receiving $206.9 in ARP ESSER federal funds. This is in addition to other state and federal funding received during the 2020-21 school year for COVID-19 response efforts. In total, SPPS will receive approximately $334 million. The federal allocations to SPPS are based on the formula used to determine Title I funding. 

Resources:

• SPPS COVID Relief Federal Funding Brief
• ARP Allocations by Minnesota School District (Minnesota Department of Education)

Each installment of COVID-19 federal and state funding includes one-time funds with specific spending requirements and deadlines. The below table shows a summary of each fund and its spending timeline.

A final plan for how this money will be spent is due to the Minnesota Department of Education by October 1, 2021. See the below graphic for a snapshot of the ARP planning timeline.

Each installment of COVID-19 federal and state funding has specific spending parameters. In general, the first allotments were used to respond to the pandemic and reopen schools. This included technology needs, personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, childcare, associated staff and applicable training to continue supporting students during the pandemic. 

At least 20 percent of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds must be used to address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions that respond to students’ social, emotional and academic needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student groups. 

The remaining ARP funds may be used for a wide range of activities to address needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic. SPPS has and will continue to collect input from students, staff, families, community members and other stakeholders to help inform decisions about how these funds will be spent to effectively address long-term student outcomes over the next three years.

Resources:

• SPPS COVID Relief Federal Funding Brief
• FY22 Federal COVID-19 Funding Allocations (SPPS Budget Summary)
• SPPS American Rescue Plan Proposed Strategies

In June 2021, SPPS held a series of family forums to assess children's learning and social-emotional needs, and surveys were sent to staff and families about their needs. Thank you for your input if you were able to participate. All of this feedback will be combined with data collected throughout the 2020-21 school year to inform the next phases of this work.

Please check the Engagement Opportunities page for upcoming opportunities to get involved in the next phase of planning.

Have a question that isn't answered here? Send an email to innovationoffice@spps.org and check this page for additional questions and answers that will be added as the planning continues.

An American Rescue Plan (ARP) workgroup was established earlier this year when the district was notified about the upcoming federal funding. The workgroup included 27 district staff members, principals, department leaders and teachers, who met regularly to review the funding requirements, discuss strategies, create timelines, and review proposals from departments across the district. The workgroup also solicited input from a 13-member advisory committee made up of parents and other community leaders. In addition, the district received over 11,000 responses from a wide range of stakeholders this spring and summer as part of a comprehensive needs assessment analysis, which was used to determine the most pressing needs for SPPS students, schools, staff, families and community members.

The ARP workgroup was charged with ensuring that all proposed strategies (see PDF) meet the federal funding requirements, align with funding priorities from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), and address the needs of SPPS students, staff, families and schools, as determined by the district’s needs assessment. Over 70 proposals from departments across the district were thoroughly reviewed and scored against these criteria. The district is now collecting feedback on these strategies before submitting the final plan to MDE on October 1, 2021.

The largest funding category in the proposed plan is High-Quality Education, which accounts for 44 percent of the total allotment ($90.4 million). This category includes direct funding for schools to meet their unique learning needs; additional reading and math teachers to offer small group instruction at every K-8 school; more specialists to teach classes including art, music and technology; expanded summer and after-school programming; funds for learning-related technology; and college and career services including internships, job certification programs, and finance and career coursework. This category also includes time and resources for teachers to better support their students' academic needs.

Social emotional learning (SEL) is integrated into many of the strategies throughout the proposed plan. These strategies include partnerships with community organizations to provide direct service to students, special education recovery services, and funding for schools to address their specific needs. 

Over 30% of the ARP funds are dedicated to safe operation of schools in the final plan. This includes hiring more school nurses and health assistants; nutrition equipment and staff to safely serve meals; and financial incentives for bus drivers. Funding for facilities includes improving ventilation systems at various sites; MERV 11 or higher air filters; and custodial and other maintenance staff to maintain and update buildings. Other facilities projects are funded outside of ARP. For more information, visit spps.org/facilities.

$10 million is being proposed as contigency funding to support distance learning or any other needs that may arise to keep students learning safely during the continuing 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. The needs assessment included a mix of methods for collecting data from students, family members, teachers and other school staff, department and program leaders, principals, community-based organizations and other stakeholders. Some of the methods used included questionnaires, surveys, online forums, focus groups, document review, and analysis of existing data. In total, SPPS received over 11,000 responses.

Read an executive summary of the ARP needs assessment here. Briefs are available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Karen and Somali.

A second round of community engagement about the proposed strategies took place from August 25-September 10, 2021. Engagement opportunities included an online form for families, staff and community members, and small group community meetings. Feedback from this engagement was used to help finalize the district’s plan. In response to this feedback, SPPS made the following adjustments to the plan: 

• Additional funds were allocated to the systemic equity strategies, increasing that investment from $5.4 million to $9.7 million 
• With the planned $10 million investment in community partnerships, the district will prioritize partnerships that support targeted student groups and provide mental health and SEL services

$10 million of ARP funds is being set aside as contingency funding. This may include distance learning resources or any other needs that may arise due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

Every proposal includes a statement about whether the program will stop, merge with other programming, or require other funding sources to continue when ARP funding is no longer available. There are strategies that fall into each of these categories. Every program will be tracked and monitored to determine whether it is meeting its stated goals and if it needs to continue beyond the funding period.