Dear School Leaders,

I know that the past few months have been among the toughest of your careers. The last part of this school year was filled with unexpected circumstances that few of us could have imagined. Despite the challenges, we must recognize that Arizona’s schools have risen to the occasion to support their students, staff, and families in the face of these uncertain and challenging times. I have never been prouder to be a part of Arizona’s education community, and I am continually inspired by the work our schools have done during this emergency. While our coming school year will also look different from years past, and as the entire world grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I take heart knowing that our schools will continue to be bedrocks of support, comfort, and stability.

There are still many unknowns about the future of this virus and its impact on our state. Still, the Arizona Department of Education remains committed to providing the field with as much guidance, support, and clarity as possible.

With input from public health experts and education leaders across our state, we have developed Arizona’s Roadmap for Reopening Schools. It provides a series of recommendations for how schools can approach the 2020-2021 school year and offers adaptable considerations to meet each community’s unique needs. Given the fluidity of the public health situation, this will be a living document that will be updated based on the most current information.

Please continue to reach out to the Arizona Department of Education with your questions, feedback, challenges, and success stories. We will continue to provide you with as much clear and timely support and guidance as possible. Together, we will get through this and make sure all our students and their families have what they need to succeed.

Sincerely, Kathy Hoffman, MS, CCC-SLP Superintendent of Public Instruction

Roadmap for Reopening Schools and Critical Considerations:

 

 

 

90% ($249 million) of Arizona’s total ESSER Fund award ($277 million) must be sub-granted to LEAs based on the proportionate share of Title I-A funds they received in FY20. ADE is also choosing to fund LEAs that are not Title I-A using approximately half of ADE’s State Education Agency set-aside funds for state-level activities.

Who is eligible to apply?

All non-profit district and charter LEAs may apply for these funds.

How will eligible LEAs apply for grant funds?

Where can I go for more information?

Webinar on the CARES Act  Funding Application Process 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initiated their Public Assistance (PA) program allowing states to apply for reimbursement of COVID-19 related emergency response and protective measures which have been incurred since January 20, 2020. As a result, the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) initiated weekly Applicant Briefings in response to the COVID-19 crisis.  In order to participate in the PA program and seek reimbursement, it is critical to attend the virtual Applicant Briefing. It is recommended that multiple staff from each applicant attend the briefing. Recommended staff includes leadership/policy, emergency managers, finance, and local elected officials.  

For additional information, please click HERE.

The Arizona Department of Education recommends that LEAs prioritize using Public Assistance funds for costs related to mitigating COVID19 and CARES funds dollars for other education-related costs.

AOI For Summer School

Please review ADE’s guidance and suggestions regarding AOI for Summer School HERE.