The Nevada Department of Education Seeks Public Comment on State Plan for Federal Relief Funding Focused on Addressing the Impacts of Interrupted Learning and Ensuring Student and Educator Well-Being

CARSON CITY, Nev. – On Friday, July 9, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) published its State Plan for use of the State’s share of $1.07 billion in funding through the American Rescue Plan Act’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund. The Department seeks input from the public on the plan no later than 5:00pm on August 9, 2021.   

As directed by the U.S. Department of Education (USED), ARP ESSER plans must describe how each state will ensure transparency in planning, identifying, and meeting the needs of students most impacted by the pandemic, invest in evidence-based interventions, and prioritize educational equity, meaningful stakeholder engagement, and strong fiscal oversight.  

“Our ARP ESSER State Plan highlights Nevada’s innovative and responsive COVID-19 recovery and underscores our optimism as we focus on renewal and future-proofing our education system,” said Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Our team has worked tirelessly to engage a diverse group of stakeholders and ensure that our State Plan will meet the needs of Nevada’s distinct students and communities, and we look forward to receiving additional feedback.”  

Nevada’s ARP ESSER State Plan was developed based on robust stakeholder consultation. The Department established a Strategic Implementation Team (SIT) which hosted more than 30 stakeholder meetings with hundreds of stakeholders. The extensive list of stakeholders included students; educators; families; Tribal Nations; civil rights organizations, including disabilities rights organizations; and school and district administrators, among many others. In addition, numerous feedback sessions focused on the distinct needs of student groups, including students with disabilities, students who are English Learners, and students experiencing homelessness.  

In addition to the $107 million in funding available to the Nevada Department of Education, the 17 county school districts and State Public Charter School Authority received a cumulative $966 million through the American Rescue Plan, for which they also must create spending plans.  

“I want to commend the Nevada Department of Education for their thoughtful and collaborative approach to leading our K-12 education system during this time of rebuilding,” said Governor Sisolak. “We are grateful for this dedicated relief funding for education and look forward to seeing the positive outcomes of the State and district investments.”
 

To support local educational agencies (LEAs) as they develop their own plans and allocate funds, NDE published an ARP ESSER Planning Guide (Guide) prior to releasing its ARP ESSER State Plan. This Planning Guide is a resource to support strategic, equitable, and effective use of federal funds to meet the needs of students, staff, and families. The Guide encourages LEAs to design their plans in a way that is responsive to the unique academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of Nevada’s diverse student groups, and particularly for those students who are traditionally underserved and most negatively impacted by COVID-19.  

Guiding all funding decisions are the Statewide Priorities for COVID-19 response and recovery, which were established by NDE in partnership with the Nevada State Board of Education. These priorities are:  

• Closing opportunity gaps for students who have been traditionally underserved  
• Safe, efficient, and equitable reopening of school buildings  
• Access to technological capacity for educators, students, and families  
• Social and emotional support of students, educators, and staff  
• Access to high-quality professional development for educators  
• Access to high-quality instructional materials for educators and students  
• Support of parents, families, and communities  
• Access to adult education and workforce development opportunities  

For an overview of Total ARP ESSER Allocations to LEAs, please see the table below. Additional details on the three rounds of federal relief funding for education can be accessed at the NDE Website: Federal Relief Funding for K-12 Education 

 

The opportunity to submit public comment on Nevada’s ARP ESSER State Plan is open until 5:00p.m. on August 9, 2021. To submit public comment, please fill out the online public comment portal.  

Attachments and additional resources:  

• Nevada State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP ESSER)
• Nevada ARP ESSER State Plan Public Comment Portal
• ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs
• Overview of Federal Relief Funding for K-12 Education
• Fact Sheet on COVID-19 Relief Funding