The 2021-22 enacted state budget includes language requiring local school districts that receive funding from the Federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund allocated by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP-ESSER) to post a plan on its website identifying proposed yearly expenditures.

New York has been allocated nearly $9 billion in ARP-ESSER funds, with 90 percent going to local education agencies, including public schools. The Cuba-Rushoford Central School District has been allocated $2,400,000 over a three-year period.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act requires the district to reserve at least 20% of their 90% ARP-ESSER allocation to address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended school year programs, and 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.

The Plan will be re-evaluated and updated continuously by administration based on changing needs of our student population and budget expenditures in future years. 

Districts are required to 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, afterschool, and other extended learning and enrichment programs; and

  • Supporting early childhood education.

In addition, districts must identify programs and services that will continue beyond the availability of these federal funds and how local funds will be used moving forward in order to minimize disruption to core academic and other school programs.

Before finalizing and posting this plan, districts are required to seek public comment from parents, teachers and other stakeholders and take such comments into account in the development of the plan.  The Cuba-Rushford District collaborated with district staff, union leadership, public during Board of Education open meetings, and sought input and feedback from parents on the use of the newly allotted federal funds.  Top themes of use identified a focus on allocating funds to address learning loss especially in the areas of ELA and math. Further, overwhelming support and advocacy was received to assess, develop and coordinate social-emotional support for students, staff and families. Finally, stakeholder input emphasized the need for continued 1:1 technology and building the STEaM program in both campuses.