August 25, 2021 (Saint Paul, Minn.) -- Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) has spent the past several months gathering input and creating plans for how the district will spend its American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds over the next three school years. As part of this national education funding initiative, SPPS is receiving $206.9 million to address long-term student outcomes that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This is the last and largest federal funding allotment that SPPS is receiving as a result of the pandemic. These one-time federal funds must be used to:

• address learning loss using evidence-based interventions (at least 20 percent of funds)
• help meet a range of needs resulting from the pandemic, including safely reopening and operating schools, and addressing students’ academic, social-emotional and mental health needs

Based on these requirements, as well as the funding priorities from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the district’s own needs assessment, SPPS is proposing the following strategies to be funded through ARP:

• High-Quality Education ($93 million) - includes direct funding for schools to meet their specific needs; 1-2 new teachers at every K-8 school to focus on math and reading instruction; more summer and afterschool programs; and expanded college and career readiness programs
  
  
• Safe Schools ($67.6 million) - funding for building maintenance and cleaning, meal service, school health staff, transportation and contingency funds to support safe operation of schools during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic
  
• Targeted Student Services ($12 million) - additional support for students in special education, multilingual learners, American Indian students and others most impacted by the pandemic
  
  
• Family Services and Community Partnerships ($10.8 million) - partnerships with community social workers, nonprofit organizations, city/county agencies and others to provide student services; funding for multilingual family services
  
  
• Mental Health and Social Emotional Learning ($8 million) - additional counselors and social workers at schools; mental health support for students and staff
  
  
• Systemic Equity ($5.4 million) - recruitment and retention program to increase the number of teachers of color; culturally relevant instruction and equity training for all staff
  
  
• Operational Expenses ($10 million) - 5 percent of the funds are needed to support the above initiatives, including staffing, equipment and progress monitoring

“Saint Paul Public Schools has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve student outcomes with federal funding from the American Rescue Plan,” says Superintendent Joe Gothard. “We believe the strategies we are proposing will help us reach our goals as a district, and we are committed to monitoring their progress and making necessary adjustments to ensure every dollar is being spent to equitably meet the needs of our students, families, staff and community at large.” 

A draft of the district’s proposed ARP strategies is available here and on the ARP website. Each strategy was thoroughly vetted by an internal workgroup of 27 district staff members, principals, department leaders and teachers, with input from a 13-member advisory committee made up of parents and other community leaders. 

In addition, the district received over 11,000 responses from a wide range of stakeholders this spring and summer as part of a comprehensive needs assessment analysis, which was used to determine the most pressing needs for SPPS students, schools, staff, families and community members.

Community engagement about the proposed strategies will take place between August 25 and September 10, and will include an online feedback form for families, staff and community members, and small group community meetings. Feedback from these engagement activities will be used to help finalize the district’s plan, which must be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education by October 1, 2021, to receive the funds.

For more information, including federal funding allotments, timelines and spending requirements, visit spps.org/ARP.