District investing $7 million from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds through RFP process

February 14, 2021 (Saint Paul, Minn.)--Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is seeking community partners to provide targeted services to Saint Paul students and families, with a focus on those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The district has allocated $7 million of its American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to this effort to serve students and their family members through partnerships with community organizations and independent providers. 

SPPS is prioritizing four categories of student and family services for these funds:

• In-school mental health services and social emotional learning support for students
• After-school enrichment opportunities for middle school students through the Flipside program
• Support for families most impacted by the pandemic, either in or outside of school
• In-school academic support for students most impacted by the pandemic

SPPS conducted a comprehensive needs assessment in 2021 to identify the most pressing needs for students, families, staff and schools. Based on this research, the student groups most impacted by distance learning and the pandemic were: American Indian students, Black students, Hispanic students, students receiving free/reduced price lunch, English learners, students receiving Special Education, Asian students, and students in grades 6-8.

“Saint Paul Public Schools is stronger when we partner with our community,” said SPPS Superintendent Joe Gothard. “We are proud to be able to invest in community partnerships to better serve our students and families with funding from the American Rescue Plan.”

Community organizations and independent contractors are invited to bid on this opportunity by the March 16 deadline. The full RFP and details for prospective bidders are available on the SPPS Purchasing website at spps.org/Page/24239.

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