The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday the approval of Nebraska’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief plan and distributed remaining funds to them. Nebraska’s plan details how the state is using and plans to use the funds to safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most, particularly those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As students and states return to school, the Department released the Return To School Roadmap, which provides key resources and supports for students, parents, educators, and school communities to build excitement around returning to classrooms this school year and outlines how federal funding can support the safe and sustained return to in-person learning. ARP funds can be used to support the roadmap’s efforts.
Nebraska is receiving $546 million total in ARP ESSER funds and Thursday’s approval of their plan will result in the release of the final $182 million. “I am excited to announce approval of Nebraska’s plan,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “It is heartening to see, reflected in these state plans, the ways in which states are thinking deeply about how to use American Rescue Plan funds to continue to provide critical support to schools and communities, particularly as we enter the upcoming academic year.”
Nebraska Commissioner of Education Matt Blomstedt says “Nebraska schools have taken a lead in pandemic response from the very beginning, working tirelessly to find ways to keep students in the classroom. Our schools will continue to lead by using the latest funds to support students by addressing unfinished learning and boosting learning acceleration. We have the unique opportunity to provide schools and students the supports and community partnerships they need to be their very best.”
The ARP ESSER state plans approved by the Department today, including Nebraska’s, show how states are using federal pandemic resources to support safe, in-person instruction and meet the social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of students—with a focus on the students most impacted by the pandemic.
For example:
Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining Safe Operations: The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) will continue to implement its Do Right, Right Now campaign, a statewide effort to promote the continued need for safety, masking, vaccinations, and mental health. NDE is also working on a project with a local medical group to promote the safety of vaccines in children.
Addressing the Academic Impact of Lost Instructional Time: NDE will pursue evidence-based interventions that support the state plan priorities described above: supporting student and staff social-emotional wellbeing and mental health; reimagining family and community engagement; investing in teacher professional development, upskilling, and the teacher and leader pipeline; and ensuring students have equitable access to grade-level instruction to address unfinished learning and support learning acceleration.
Investing in Expanded Afterschool Programs: NDE is partnering with the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation to implement evidence-based enrichment activities. NDE will select sites for funding that have been impacted the most by the COVID-19 pandemic and are most in need. Identified schools include sites with current 21st Century Community Learning Center grants or other expanded learning programs. The identification process also prioritizes middle and high school settings.