Welcome to the ESSER section of the website.

Arkansas schools and districts use federal resources in their efforts to improve student achievement, to ensure that students are proficient in meeting our state standards, and to prepare for a successful future.

The Arkadelphia Public School District is a subrecipient of Federal Grant Program funds to supplement and complement the efforts of local school systems, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents and students to improve the quality of education.

District personnel receive technical assistance from ADE:DESE personnel in our efforts to apply best-practices in both fiscal and programmatic matters and to maintain communication efforts not only in the program planning stage but the implementation stage as well.

The CARES Act - Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 is intended to help States and LEAs safely operate schools, measure and effectively address learning needs, and take other actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the students and families who depend on our public schools.

Budgeting and Reporting of ESSER II Funds

LEAs will utilize eFinance to budget and report financial expenditures. LEAs will be responsible for supporting evidence and documentation of expenditures for reporting and audit purposes.

Upon request by DESE, the LEA will also upload the expenditure ledger for ESSER funds into Indistar.

DESE is required to monitor LEA expenditures of ESSER funds.

Focus of ESSER II Funds

DESE has established five focus areas for funding LEAs.  The four focus areas for ESSER I (food security, direct student support/continuous learning opportunities, technology, and systemic procedures) plus a new focus area (facilities) will apply to ESSER II funds.  LEAs may select all that apply:

Who is eligible to apply for ESSER II Funds?

LEAs (districts and charter schools) that receive Title I funds. 

What are the ESSER II funding allocations for LEAs?

Allocations for ESSER II funds are posted on the DESE website at https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/fiscal-and-administrative-services/school-funding/allocations

What is the timeline for ESSER II funds?

LEAs must obligate ESSER II funds by September 30, 2023.

What are allowable expenditures of ESSER II funds?

Expenditures must be reasonable, necessary and allocable under section 18003(d) of Division B of the CARES Act. Funds should be used to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have on elementary and secondary public schools. Funds should address the district's continuity of learning and operations plan (district support plan). Funds should address all teachers and students, including special populations and students most at-risk. Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 Section 313 (d) outlines fifteen (15) uses of funds. Those uses of funds are included in the CARES ACT ADDENDUM: LEA application and assurances for ESSER II Funds. COVID-19 related expenditures coded that meet these guidelines may be paid from ESSER II funds if expended on and after March 13, 2020.

What are the funding codes for ESSER II funds?

To access the codes, go to ESSER II funding codes.

What are the retention requirements for ESSER II funds records?

Financial records, supporting (primary) documents, and all documentation of reasonable, necessary, and allocable must be retained for four (4) years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. 2 CFR § 200.333

CARES ACT ADDENDUM:  LEA Application and Assurances for ESSER II Funds

Eligible LEAs should complete the CARES ACT ADDENDUM: LEA application and assurances for ESSER II Funds document and upload to the ESSER folder in Indistar by February 1, 2021. The CARES ACT ADDENDUM: LEA Application and Assurances for ESSER II Funds is available in Word or PDF.

CARES Act – approved March 27, 2020

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the CARES Act, which is a $2 trillion package of assistance measures. The 880 page Act is available at https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr748/BILLS-116hr748enr.pdf.

The CARES Act provides States the opportunity to apply for waivers and to request funding.

1. Waivers

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requested the following waivers. Information regarding waivers and waiver requests will be updated on this webpage.

Federal Funds Waiver for Perkins – approved April 29, 2020

On April 16, 2020, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) submitted a letter to Scott Stump, Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education, requesting an extension of the period of availability of FY2018 Title I of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Act of 2006 which allows subrecipients until September 30, 2021, to expend these funds. The waiver was approved on April 29, 2020 by Scott Stump (approval letter). Submit public comment to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfa1qIcrveGmhY2BP3yFl_mCQE5WMz_qWhm1f2rG8al5OQB_g/viewform.

Federal Funds Waiver – approved April 21, 2020

On April 6, 2020, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) submitted a letter to Frank Brogan, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, requesting a waiver for federal fund carry-over restrictions, period of availability of funds, Title IV requirements, and the definition of professional development. The waiver was approved on April 21, 2020, by Frank Brogan (approval letter). Submit public comment to ade.essacomments@arkansas.gov.

Understanding the Federal Waivers – posted April 16, 2020

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) developed a document to explain the impact of the federal waivers. DESE will update the document as more information becomes available. The document is available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N0fOukqQiuXGui7kmUUUFHysBJ02LCGL757LHKGwGSQ/edit?usp=sharing.

Assessment, Accountability and Reporting Waiver - approved March 27, 2020

On March 23, 2020, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) submitted a letter to Frank Brogan, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, requesting a waiver from assessment, accountability and reporting 2020. The waiver was approved on March 27, 2020, by Frank Brogan (approval letter). Submit public comment to ade.essacomments@arkansas.gov.

2. Funding

The CARES Act provides multiple opportunities for funding. As funding opportunities become available for public school districts and nonpublic schools, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will provide information and updates to this webpage. Additional information about CARES Act funding is available at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/.

Currently, APSD expended all of the funds from this area per state and federal guidelines.

This is visible on the ADE:DESE ESSER Transparency Dashboard (screenshot below)...

The District Support Plan is available as part of the State-Required Information located here.

The District ARP Plan is available as part of the State-Required Information located here.

Public comments can be submitted using the APSD Federal Programs Engagement Survey.

Personnel, students, their families, and other interested parties are invited to ask questions, to provide feedback, and to contribute to the process as part of our consultation with stakeholders. Therefore, we invite you to use our APSD Federal Programs Engagement Survey (feel free to provide feedback for this and any of the pertinent sections).

The APSD Ready for Learning (RfL) Committee consists of APSD personnel, parents, and community members.

This committee and its subcommittees will evolve over time based on current needs.

Public comments can be submitted using the APSD Federal Programs Engagement Survey.

Personnel, students, their families, and other interested parties are invited to ask questions, to provide feedback, and to contribute to the process as part of our consultation with stakeholders. Therefore, we invite you to use our APSD Federal Programs Engagement Survey (feel free to provide feedback for this and any of the pertinent sections).

You have a right to request information regarding the professional qualifications of the classroom staff working with your child.

Our district or school will be able to provide you with the following information regarding the qualifications of your child’s teacher(s):

• Whether the teacher meets the state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grades and subjects that he or she teaches.

• Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status because of special circumstances.

• Whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and the field of discipline of the teacher’s certification or degree.

If at any time your student has been taught for four (4) or more consecutive weeks by a teacher(s) that is not highly qualified, then you will be notified by the school.

You also have the right to request information regarding the qualifications of the paraprofessional(s) assisting your child’s teacher(s).  If your child is receiving Title I, Part A services from a paraprofessional, then our district or school is able to provide you with the following information:

• Whether the paraprofessional has completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education.

• Whether the paraprofessional has completed an associate’s degree (or higher).

• Whether the paraprofessional has met a rigorous standard of quality through our state’s certification procedure for determining the quality of paraprofessional staff.

• Whether the paraprofessional has: (a) the knowledge of and ability to assist in instructing reading, writing, and mathematics or (b) the knowledge of and the ability to assist in learning activities, such as homework, reading readiness, writing, mathematics, and other support as appropriate.

To request this information, please contact the office by phone during school hours:

• Perritt Primary School at 870-246-2260

• Peake Elementary School at 870-246-2361

• Goza Middle School at 870-246-4291

• Arkadelphia High School at 870-246-7373

Disabled parents have a right to ask for auxiliary aids and services to afford them an equal opportunity to participate in and to enjoy the benefits of a Title I, Part A Programs.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) requires the state educational agency (SEA) to investigate any complaint provided to the SEA.

Any individual, organization or agency (complainant) may file a complaint with the Arkansas Department of Education if that individual, organization or agency believes and alleges that a local educational agency, the state educational agency, or an agency or consortium of agencies is violating a federal statute or regulation that applies to a program under the ESEA. The complaint must allege a violation that occurred not more than one (1) year prior to the date that the complaint is received, unless a longer period is reasonable because the violation is considered systemic or ongoing.

For more information, please refer to:

•  Commissioner’s Memo COM-21-013 Final Rule: Federal Program Complaint Resolution

•  ADE Rules Governing Federal Program Complaint Resolution

Please complete any surveys for any campus and for the district

• APSD Federal Programs Engagement Survey (feel free to provide feedback for any of the pertinent sections)

Please consider volunteering by campus

• Each campus trains its volunteers for the specific roles and/or tasks

Please let us know how we can collaborate with you more effectively