The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund, authorized under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, provides over $411 million to Maine to support schools in safely reopening and sustaining safe operations while meeting the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The following plan includes information regarding RSU 16’s allocation of $3,150,761.12 in federal stimulus funds through the American Rescue Plan. Of the ARP-ESSER total allocation of $3,150,761.12, 20 percent of the total funding or $630,152 must be earmarked to address student learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The remaining portion of the allocation can be used to support our district, particularly in areas most impacted by the pandemic.

The funds allow for us to:

• Safely return students to in-person instruction
• Maximize in-person instruction time
• Operate schools and meet the needs of students
• Purchase educational technology
• Address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, including the impacts of interrupted instruction and learning loss and the impacts on low-income students, children with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students experiencing homelessness
• Implement evidence-based strategies to meet students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs

If you have any questions about the ARP-ESSER 3 funding plan, please contact Superintendent Ken Healey at khealey@rsu16.org or by phone at 998-2727.