August 12, 2021
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Congress passed the American Rescue Plan on March 11, 2021, which provides funding to local
school districts through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER)
Fund. The Pioneer District will be holding a hearing to gather input from District stakeholders to
inform the development of an expenditure plan for these funds. The allowable expenditures for
these funds are listed below.
The hearing is scheduled for August 25, 2021, during the regularly scheduled meeting of the
Governing Board:
DATE: August 25, 2021
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: 1888 Mustang Drive
Hanford, CA, 93230
Allowable Expenditures for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief
(ESSER III) Funds.
1. Any activity authorized by the ESEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), or the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins).
2. Coordination of LEA preparedness and response efforts with state, local, tribal, and
territorial public health departments, and other relevant agencies, to improve coordinated
responses with other agencies to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus.
3. Activities to address the unique needs of low-income children or students, children with
disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing
homelessness, and foster care youth, including how outreach and service delivery will
meet the needs of each population.
4. Developing and implementing procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and
response efforts of LEAs.
5. Training and professional development for LEA staff on sanitation and minimizing the
spread of infectious diseases.
6. Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the facilities of an LEA, including buildings
operated by such agency.
7. Planning for, coordinating, and implementing activities during long-term closures,
including how to provide meals, technology for online learning, guidance on IDEA
requirements, and ensuring other educational services can continue to be provided
consistent with all applicable requirements.
8. Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, and connectivity) for
students served by the LEA that aids in regular and substantive educational interactions
between students and their classroom teachers, including low-income students and
children with disabilities, which may include assistive technology or adaptive equipment.
9. Providing mental health services and supports, including through the implementation of
evidence-based full-service community schools.
10.Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and supplemental
afterschool programs, including providing classroom instruction or online learning during
the summer months and addressing the needs of low-income students, students with
disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness,
and children in foster care.
○ Addressing learning loss among students, including low-income students,
students with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students
experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care, of the local educational
agency, including by–
○ Administering and using high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable, to
accurately assess students’ academic progress and assist educators in meeting
students’ academic progress and assist educators in meeting students’ academic
needs, including through differentiating instruction.
○ Implementing evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of
students.
○ Providing information and assistance to parents and families on how they can
effectively support students, including in a distance learning environment.
○ Tracking student attendance and improving student engagement in distance
education.
11. School facility repairs and improvements to reduce risk of virus transmission and
exposure to environmental health hazards, and to support student health needs.
12.Inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve
the indoor air quality in school facilities, including mechanical and non-mechanical
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, filtering, purification, and other air
cleaning, fans, control systems, and window and door repair and replacement.
13.Developing strategies and implementing public health protocols including, to the greatest
extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention for the reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain
the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff
14.Other activities that are necessary to maintain operations and continuity of services and
continuing to employ existing staff.
Additionally, Section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act requires an LEA to reserve not less than 20
percent of its ESSER III allocation (Resource Code 3214) to address the academic impact of lost
instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions. Allowable uses of
this portion of funds are:
1. Summer learning or summer enrichment
2. Extended day
3. Comprehensive afterschool programs
4. Extended school year programs
5. Evidence-based high dosage tutoring
6. Full-Service Community Schools
7. Mental health services and supports
8. Adoption or integration of social-emotional learning into the core curriculum/school day
9. Other evidence-based interventions
