• The top ten priorities from the stakeholder feedback shared a primary focus of direct student support. 
• Stakeholder feedback referenced “academic needs” as the most frequently cited priority.
• The Superintendent’s Recommendation included four categories
  • Unfinished Learning
  • Student Academic, Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs
  • Prevention and Mitigation Strategies
  • Other Use of Funds including technology, multilingual engagement and equity needs

• Nearly 90% of the funding is to be recommended to address:
  • Unfinished learning 47.5%
  • Student academic and social, emotional and mental health needs 41.8%
  • Technology, multilingual communications and Project Mgmt 10.0%
  • Prevention and mitigation strategies 0.7%
• Over $168 million is slated for unfinished learning and academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.
• Funds are allocated for FY22, FY23 and FY24.
• In recognition that these are one-time or non-recurring funds and the future fiscal environment is uncertain, a limited number of full-time positions have been included in the request. 

• Much like previous ESSER allocations to schools, academic and SEL intervention will provide funding for each school in FY22 and FY23 based on a formula that considers math achievement, reading achievement, free or reduced-price meals eligibility, ESOL needs, special education needs, and overall enrollment. 
• Region Offices, DSIS, DSS, and Equity and Cultural Responsiveness team members will review and monitor school-based plans, and stipends are to be provided so that each building has two leads for academic intervention and SEL intervention, plus additional planning time.
• Funding will be flexible with an array of strategies available to support students. 

Given that students with disabilities were significantly impacted by school closure and virtual learning and given that special education remains a national critical shortage area, it is imperative that we attract and retain licensed special education teachers to provide direct support to students with disabilities to close the achievement gap that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

• Special education teachers’ daily contracts will be extended by 30 minutes in FY22 and FY23 to foster special education teacher retention by compensating special education teachers for the additional workload required to address compliance responsibilities beyond their instructional duties. 

• Principals may use their allocations to fund hourly teachers, hourly counselors, hourly psychologists, or hourly social workers, to provide after-hours tutoring or small group instruction. 
• Principals may opt to use extended teacher contracts or external tutoring companies instead of hourly assistance. 
• Principals may use funds for professional development and other appropriate activities in compliance with the grant.
• Funds were set aside for an additional year of enhanced summer school in 2022 (FY23).
• Selected after-school programs will be improved including bus transportation in FY22, FY23 and FY24.

• Stipend for School based Intervention and Support Lead
• $20K per school (Academic and SEL)
• ES additional hourly funding for 3 hours per week planning time
• Secondary funding for .17 period for extra planning time
• Tutoring Support (internal staff and external resources)
• Extended Contracts for teachers and other school staff
• Hourly Funding for teachers and other school staff
• Professional Development for school staff
• Additional Collaborative Time for teachers to plan and complete data analysis
• Other activities approved by the Region Office and in compliance with the federal grant

Smaller allocations are primarily for translators, interpreters, written communications, technology, equity, and project management among others.

FCPS included positions within the $188.8m grant to serve as a project management oversight team during its implementation. These positions will be temporary for the length of the grant.

As part of the FY22  and FY23 Continuous Monitoring, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) will include the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) expenditures[1] as samples, to test for compliance with terms and conditions.

[1] These expenditures are also subject to FCPS management controls and monitoring, and federal funds are subject to the Single Audit under the 2 CFR Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards that is performed annually with Fairfax County Government.  

• The grant required posting of the spending plan on the FCPS website on August 1, 2021.
• The School Board voted to approve the plan for the grant allocation on August 26, 2021
• The deadline for grant submission to VDOE was September 1, 2021. 
• The grant application was subject to State approval. 
• School divisions were required to submit an updated ESSER III Spending Plan to the Virginia Department of Education by December 31, 2022. See the updated FCPS’ Revised ESSER III Spending Plan (released December 27, 2022).