The Secretary of Education to the Honorable Susan Bunting — Delaware (July 22, 2021)

Summary

Delaware's ARP ESSER State plan is approved in a July 22, 2021 letter from Secretary Cardona to Delaware Secretary of Education Susan Bunting, but only on a condition. Delaware indicated that it has not yet identified the evidence-based interventions its section 2001(f) reservations will fund, so it must amend the plan and report its progress within 30 days of receipt, with further updates as the Department requires. The remaining one-third of the allocation is to be released immediately. Delaware is also asked for URLs covering instruction-mode and enrollment data, which were due online by June 21, 2021, and for local plans. Cardona signs the letter.

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Full text

                                       THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
                                             WASHINGTON, DC 20202




                                              July 22, 2021


The Honorable Susan Bunting
Secretary of Education
Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal Street, Suite Two
Dover, DE 19901-3639

Dear Secretary Bunting:

I am pleased to approve Delaware’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) State plan. This plan, together with the unprecedented funding
available under ARP ESSER, will help ensure that districts and schools in your State can
continue to reopen safely; support sustained access to in-person instruction throughout the
summer and into next school year; and address the social, emotional, mental health, and
academic needs of students due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19),
particularly those students most impacted by the pandemic.

Except as described below, Delaware’s plan is consistent with all ARP ESSER statutory and
regulatory requirements and addresses all of the ARP ESSER State plan elements. This letter,
along with Delaware’s approved ARP ESSER State plan, will be posted on the U.S. Department
of Education’s (Department’s) website, and the Department will immediately release the
remaining one-third of your State’s ARP ESSER allocation for your use.

In its ARP ESSER State plan, an SEA must describe how it will use the funds it reserves under
sections 2001(f)(1)-(3) of the ARP Act on evidence-based interventions to address: (1) the
academic impact of lost instructional time, (2) summer learning and enrichment programs, and
(3) comprehensive afterschool programs; and must describe how the activities it identifies will
address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students. In its ARP
ESSER State plan, Delaware indicated that it has not yet identified the evidence-based
interventions. As a result, this approval is conditioned on Delaware amending its ARP ESSER
State plan to provide the requisite descriptions to meet the requirements in sections D.1.i-iii,
D.2.i-iii, and D.3.i-iii of the ARP ESSER State plan template. In addition, within 30 days of
receipt of this letter, Delaware must provide an update on its progress in selecting evidence
based interventions and provide additional updates as required by the Department.

As part of the ARP ESSER State plan, each State assured that it would provide the
Department the URLs for information related to ARP ESSER requirements. First, by June 21,
2021, each State was required to post publicly on its website, for the most recent time period
available, data on mode of instruction and enrollment for all students, disaggregated by student
subgroups. The State assured that it would provide to the Department the URL(s) where the
public can readily find this data. The Department will follow up separately with you regarding
this requirement, if necessary. Second, your State assured that it would provide to the Page 2 –
The Honorable Susan Bunting
Department the URL(s) for the SEA and/or local educational agency (LEA) websites where the
public can find the LEA plans for: (a) the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of
services; and (b) use of ARP ESSER funds. Please submit the URL or URLs to the Department
via email to your State mailbox at Delaware.OESE@ed.gov.

Please be aware that approval of Delaware’s ARP ESSER State plan is not a determination that
all the information included in the State plan complies with Federal civil rights requirements,
including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities
Act, and requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is Delaware’s
responsibility to comply with these civil rights requirements.

The Department is committed to working in partnership with your State so that your ARP
ESSER funds are quickly put to work to ensure students have sustained access to in-person
instruction as well as the comprehensive support they need to recover fully from the impacts of
the COVID-19 pandemic. As you implement this plan, we expect you to continue meaningfully
engaging with stakeholders and the public and revising your plan, as necessary, to best meet the
needs of students, parents, and educators. Ongoing engagement with all stakeholders is vital to
ensuring that implementation of your plan is transparent, effective, equitable, inclusive, and best
meets the needs of your State. The thoughtful, evidence-based, and timely use of ARP ESSER
funds will have a lasting impact on our Nation’s schools and help to address the inequities in
resources, services, and opportunities available to our students.


                                      Sincerely,

                                      /s/

                                      Miguel A. Cardona, Ed.D.


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