September 13, 2021
Carson
City, Nev.- Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced
the approval of Nevada’s
American Rescue Plan Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP
ESSER) plan and distributed
remaining ARP ESSER funds to them. Nevada’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, particularly those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier
this year, the Department distributed two-thirds of the ARP ESSER funds,
totaling $81 billion, to 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nevada is
receiving more than $1 billion total in ARP ESSER funds, and today’s approval
of their plan will result in the release of the final $358 million.
“I
am excited to announce approval of Nevada’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 look ahead to the upcoming academic year. The
approval of these plans enables states to receive vital, additional American
Rescue Plan funds to quickly and safely reopen schools for full-time, in-person
learning; meet students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs;
and address disparities in access to educational opportunity that were
exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The state plans that have been
submitted to the Department lay the groundwork for the ways in which an unprecedented
infusion of federal resources will be used to address the urgent needs of
America’s children and build back better.”
“Our
Nevada ARP ESSER state plan prioritizes supporting the social, emotional, and
mental well-being of our students, educators, and staff; addressing the impacts
of interrupted learning; and recruiting and retaining the effective educators
needed to meet those goals,” said Nevada State Superintendent of Public
Instruction Jhone Ebert. “I am infinitely proud of our state’s innovative and
inclusive COVID-19 response and recovery, and we look forward to using this
turning point to reimagine our education system and ensure equitable access to
high-quality learning opportunities for every student.”
“With today’s approval on our ARP ESSER State Plan, Nevada is able to move ahead to bring these important projects to life in a way that will serve our students, families, educators, and staff throughout the State,” said Governor Sisolak. “I commend Superintendent Ebert and her team at the Nevada Department of Education for their hard work on compiling our ARP ESSER State Plan in a way that is reflective of the needs of all stakeholders involved with Nevada’s education system.”
“I worked hard to make sure the American Rescue Plan included funding to get kids back into classrooms and help Nevada’s teachers and schools get the resources they need to support our students every day,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. “Addressing the mental health crisis affecting our kids has been a top priority for me, and Nevada’s plans demonstrate the state’s commitment to supporting students in and outside of the classroom. I’m so pleased to see these plans for using this money have been approved by the Department of Education, so these dollars can get into our communities and support our students.”
“Prior
to coming to Congress, I spent my career working in education, and I know just
how tough this pandemic has been on our students and teachers,” said Rep. Susie
Lee. “I was proud to vote to pass the American Rescue Plan, which included
robust funding for schools, and now—thanks to that funding—our kids are safely
back in school. But there is so much work to be done to support students, both
socially and academically, after a year of distance learning. I’m so glad to
see that Nevada will be receiving these funds to help address learning loss and
get our students the resources they need to succeed.”
“Nevada’s
students, teachers, and families have faced unprecedented hardship from the
COVID-19 pandemic—but today, help is here. The Biden-Harris Administration and
Congress secured much-needed education relief funding through the American
Rescue Plan, and I am glad to see the Department of Education approve Nevada’s
plan to use these funds,” said Rep. Steven Horsford. “Nevada’s ESSER III
allocation will help us keep students safe and address the learning loss of the
past year, which has taken a disproportionate toll on students of color,
students with special education needs, English language learners, and those in
rural and low-income communities.”
“This
pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for students, educators, and
parents in Southern Nevada,” said Rep. Dina Titus. “We need to ensure these
critical funds provided by Congress in the American Rescue Plan will provide
Nevada schools the resources they need to help students safely return to
in-person learning, address learning loss in disadvantaged communities, and
provide wrap-around services for underserved students disproportionately
impacted by COVID-19.”
Nevada’s
ARP ESSER State Plan, approved by the Department today, shows how the State is
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: For
the 2021-2022 school year, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE)
provided guidance and resources to ensure safe and welcoming learning
environments for all students and maximized opportunities for in-person
learning. In addition to detailing emergency plans for distance education
in their reopening plans, Nevada districts continue to promote
vaccinations among teachers, staff, families, and eligible students by
providing information about COVID-19 vaccination, encouraging vaccine
trust and confidence, and establishing supportive policies and practices
that make getting vaccinated as easy and convenient as possible.
- Investing in Expanded
Afterschool Programs: NDE will award $10.7 million in
funds reserved for afterschool programs to districts through a competitive
grant process that ensures afterschool programs are evidence-based and
address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
traditionally underserved student groups. Based on stakeholder feedback
and data, the afterschool programs will support early learning,
instructional support, credit recovery, and social and emotional support
for students.
- Supporting Students’ and Educators’ Social, Emotional, and Mental Health
Needs: NDE will allocate $7.5
million to support districts and charter schools in hiring 100 additional
school-based mental health professionals, including school counselors, school
social workers, school
psychologists, and school mental health workers. Additionally, NDE will
spend $1.7 million to hire a Multi-Tiered System of Support coach for
every district.
On July 9,
2021, the Nevada Department of Education published a draft of its ARP ESSER
State Plan, which was open for public comment until August 9, 2021. The Plan
was developed based on robust stakeholder consultation, with hundreds of
stakeholders including students; educators; families; Tribal Nations; civil
rights organizations; and school and district administrators, among many
others.
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
Act, for which they also created spending plans in consultation with their
local communities.
For more information
on Federal Relief Funding, including allocations to Local Education Agencies,
please visit NDE’s Federal Relief Funding for K-12 Education webpage.