SUMMARY:
On March 11, 2021, the President signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). ARP makes available $122.8 billion nationally in a third round of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. New York State has been allocated nearly $9 billion under the ARP Act’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. The ARP Act requires that a minimum of $8.09 billion (90 percent) be allocated to LEAs, including charter schools and Special Act School Districts that are LEAs. Pursuant to the terms of the ARP Act, LEA allocations have been calculated using the relative shares of grants awarded under Title I, Part A of the ESEA for the most recent federal fiscal year (2020).

Under section 2001(d)(2) of the ARP Act of 2021, each State Educational Agency (SEA) must make ARP-ESSER allocations to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner and, to the extent practicable, not later than 60 days after the SEA receives its ARP-ESSER funds. The first portion of ARP-ESSER Funds was awarded to states on March 24, 2021, and 60 days from that day is May 24, 2021. The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has taken the position that an SEA makes allocations when it authorizes the LEA to begin to obligate funds in accordance with its needs. 

The ARP Act requires LEAs 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 after school 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.
 

ALLOWABLE USES OF ARP-ESSER FUNDS:
USDE has published a fact sheet comparing the ESSER 1 fund under the CARES Act, the ESSER 2 fund under the CRRSA Act, and the ARP-ESSER fund, which is available at: 

On April 21, 2021, USDE issued Interim Final Requirements (IFR) that include examples of ways in which an LEA may use its ARP-ESSER funds for a wide variety of activities related to educating students during the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and educators.  USDE’s IFR also references the ARP statutory requirement that an LEA receiving ARP ESSER funds must reserve at least 20 percent of the funds to measure and address the academic impact of lost instructional time on all students through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, including but not limited to interventions implemented through summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive after school programs, or extended school year programs. Moreover, USDE’s IFR states that the LEA must also ensure that such interventions respond to students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs and address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on groups of students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
USDE has indicated that additional guidance on allowable uses of ARP-ESSER funds will be forthcoming.  

LINDENHURST UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
The District’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds a total $8,033,171.
The District’s Initial Plan for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) Funds is listed below.  If applicable, and after the conclusion of the district's stakeholder committee meetings, this plan will be modified and more in-depth descriptions of the usage of the funds will be included.