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Exception to the Requirement That Plumas Unified School District Maintain Equity (February 1, 2022)

Summary

Letter dated February 1, 2022 from the U.S. Department of Education to Lisa Cavin, Deputy Superintendent Business Services at the Plumas County Office of Education, responding to Plumas Unified School District's request for an exception to the American Rescue Plan Act maintenance of equity requirement in fiscal year 2022. The letter cites section 2004(c)(2) of the American Rescue Plan Act and states that the request, received on January 11, 2022, was based on the destruction caused by the Dixie Fire and its impact on enrollment at Greenville Junior High School and Greenville Elementary School. It states that the Department concurs that these events constitute an uncontrollable or exceptional circumstance and that the district is excepted for FY 2022. The letter is from Laura Jimenez, Director, Office of State and Grantee Relations.

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Cite this document

“Exception to the Requirement That Plumas Unified School District Maintain Equity (February 1, 2022).” Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/ppr-int-8bfa781935d720ea-pdf-8fe05a3cae-b065e5cb99/, SHA-256 ed73dfd6e4ec5f1ee0df6a25c73e5483822db19b674bcae2fe3525cc3fe11fb5.

Full text

                                   THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
                                           WASHINGTON, DC 20202



                                            February 1, 2022


Lisa Cavin
Deputy Superintendent Business Services
Plumas County Office of Education
Plumas Unified School District
50 Church Street
Quincy, CA 95971

Dear Ms. Cavin:
Thank you for submitting to the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) your request for an
exception to the requirement that Plumas Unified School District maintain equity in its high-poverty
schools in fiscal year (FY) 2022. Please note that if Plumas Unified School District did not have an
aggregate reduction in combined State and local per-pupil funding in FY 2022, Plumas Unified School
District has demonstrated an exceptional or uncontrollable circumstance which renders this request
unnecessary as detailed in Question 32 of Frequently Asked Questions, American Rescue Plan
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Program, Maintenance of Equity
Requirements, December 29, 2021.
As you know, section 2004(c)(2) of the American Rescue Plan Act outlines that a local educational
agency (LEA) need not maintain equity if the LEA “demonstrates an exceptional or uncontrollable
circumstance, such as unpredictable changes in student enrollment or a precipitous decline in the financial
resources of [the LEA], as determined by the Secretary.” An “exceptional or uncontrollable
circumstance” might include increased one-time expenditures in the baseline year (school year 2020-
2021) due to the pandemic, a very small school where the maintenance of equity calculations do not result
in meaningful information about resource availability, or a significant change in the expenses of a school
that no longer serves a student whose educational and support needs required services that have a
particularly high cost. Each request for an exception requires a case-by-case review by the Department.

On January 11, 2022, we received your request for an exception to the maintenance of equity requirement
for your high-poverty schools in FY 2022. According to the materials you provided, you request an
exception because of the destruction caused by the Dixie Fire and its subsequent impact on enrollment at
Greenville Junior High School and Greenville Elementary School. After reviewing your request, we
concur that these events constitute an “uncontrollable or exceptional circumstance” that prevents you
from maintaining equity in FY 2022. As a result, Plumas Unified School District is excepted from the
maintenance of equity requirements for FY 2022.

Thank you again for reaching out to the Department and for your ongoing commitment to maintaining
equity. If you have any questions, please contact the California state mailbox
at: California.OESE@ed.gov.

                                                 Sincerely,

                                                 Laura Jimenez

                                                 Laura Jimenez
                                       Director, Office of State and Grantee Relations
                                       Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
                                       United States Department of Education


CC: The Honorable Tony Thurmond
Superintendent of Public Instruction
California Department of Education
1430 N Steet, Suite 5602
Sacramento, CA 95814

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