Use of Federal Funding for Recovery Efforts
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government passed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to support public schools across the nation in their recovery efforts. In July 2021, the Hudson City School District announced it was set to receive a one-time stimulus of federal funding. The total ARP grant amount is $4,095,432 (updated as of January 2022) and it must be spent by September 30, 2024.
After seeking input from stakeholders through a community-wide survey, the District developed a comprehensive plan for the use of this federal funding. The application was approved by the New York State Education Department on January 26, 2022.
Based on community feedback, the key areas of this spending plan include:
- Addressing learning loss through various means such as an extensive summer school program, late bus runs to allow for extended learning time after school, a Math resource library and additional hours for our Math Coach, and teachers to provide support for students during evening hours
- Staff to support students’ mental, social, and emotional well-being such as an additional School Psychologist and Guidance Counselors
- Enrichment opportunities such as after school and summer STEAM programming (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math), media literacy education, online coding courses, and a greenhouse system
- Increased professional development opportunities for teachers to enhance instruction, particularly literacy and reading instruction
- Instructional technology and network/server upgrades
- Health-related resources such as an additional School Nurse and COVID-19 supplies
Explanations of these items and more are detailed in this document. Please note these budget items are separate from the general budget fund that supports existing staffing and programs.
The District plans to engage in ongoing evaluations of these initiatives over the course of the grant period and make adjustments as necessary.
Spending Plan Details