Arkansas education leaders are urging school district personnel to think strategically, long-term and outside the box when using more than $500 million in new federal funds.
The districts -- including charter school systems -- will share about $502 million of the $558 million that is coming to the state for education as the result of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act passed by Congress and signed by then-President Donald Trump in December.
The money is intended to combat the effects of covid-19 on teaching and learning. It comes in addition to the $128 million Arkansas education received earlier in 2020, known as Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Act, now referred to as ESSER I money.
Deborah Coffman, assistant commissioner for public school accountability in the state Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, hosted a recent online meeting between state agency heads and local district leaders about the broad parameters of the new funds commonly referred to as ESSER II, as well as ideas for their use.
"They are finite pots," Coffman said. "You have ESSER I and you have ESSER II, and there may be a potential for more funds in the future. We don't know yet. As with any pot of money, we want to spend them wisely for our communities, and for our students and teachers so they are best served -- not just now but for the long-haul, as well."
Districts are continuing to spend the first round of money on laptop computer and tablet devices for students and staff, online curriculum, online learning management systems, personal protection equipment such as face masks and a range of sanitizing equipment.
Those kinds of purchases became necessary when the pandemic caused schools to close to on-site instruction in the final quarter of the 2019-20 school year.
Arkansas schools reopened in August, but more than 150,000 -- about 33 percent-- of students are doing their lessons online from their homes or using a hybrid combination of at-home and at-school instruction this school year. Additionally, in the event of a covid outbreak or widespread exposure to covid, schools and districts do shift for short periods of time to virtual instruction.
The latest round of money comes as more and more vaccines are becoming available, but the virus continues to spread with 2,000 to 3,000 new cases a day and more than 800 deaths so far in January in Arkansas.
Similar to what was done with the first round of special funding, districts are expected to use the money for child nutrition, direct student support and continuous learning, technology, systemic procedures and -- emphasized in the latest funding -- facilities, including the enhancement of air quality.
Kiffany Pride, the state's assistant commissioner for learning services, urged school district leaders to consider using their federal funding to update their instructional resources, such as materials that will support the teaching of the relatively new science standards, and reading instruction that is based on the science of how students learn to read. Materials for supporting students who have characteristics of dyslexia is another area for increasing instructional resources, she said.
Digital resources for core academic subjects -- including math -- are another area in which schools might channel some of their funding, Pride said.
Deputy Commissioner Stacy Smith suggested summer education programs and longer school days as other ways to use the money to help students catch up in learning.
Credit recovery courses for older students who are behind in earning the course credits they need for graduation is still another option.
"Think outside the box," Coffman urged, suggesting tutoring for individual and small student groups as ways to resolve student learning issues resulting from the pandemic.
Don Benton, assistant commissioner of research and technology, warned school systems to expect a barrage of vendors to reach out to them. Districts must vet those vendors to ensure that they can produce the products they are selling in a timely way.
Caution is also in order in buying devices to improve internet connectivity for students and teachers, Benton said, to make sure they complement already available resources.
"Be cautious and think long-term," Benton said. "What is going to carry me forward?'"
Districts have some time for planning and even for working with other districts and educational service cooperatives to do that as the money will be available through September 2023.
Karli Saracini, assistant commissioner for educator effectiveness and licensure, said that while the federal money can't be used for employee bonuses, it can be used to pay employees for additional duties and to enable employees to take leave because of covid illness or covid exposures without having to use their regular sick leave or to go without pay.
The money can also be used in restructuring a school district's salary schedule so as to increase pay for master or lead teachers who take on mentoring and coaching of teacher colleagues.
The money may be used to help certified teachers acquire state certification in additional subjects or areas such as special education, Saracini said.
Tim Cain, director of public school facilities and transportation, highlighted the new possibilities with the latest round of federal funding for improving air quality and filtration to reduce the transmission of viruses in a school building. That could include a new system or upgrades to a school's heating and air conditioning ventilation system, he said, also urging strategic planning.
Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key said Arkansas has a "bit of an advantage" over other states that saw cuts in their state education funding in recent months. Arkansas funding to schools has stayed intact and the federal funds won't have to be used to offset losses there.
Smith, the deputy commissioner, said that agency leaders are committed to success for students and districts.
"Failure is not an option for any kid," she said. "Thinking about the funds that are coming in right now -- this is really to make that true. What are the holes that we have to plug in to mitigate the learning loss that occurred from March of last year through this school year? What do we have to do to re-engage kids who have not been engaged? What do we have to do for our curriculum and the services we are providing to make sure kids are learning?"
Smith said responses to questions from school districts about using the federal money for curriculum, services and facilities are likely going to be "yes."
"But you still have to answer the basic question, 'Is this going to help fill the hole of why kids aren't learning during this time period?" she said.