AZ Dept. of Ed announces additional $16 M in federal relief for public schools, teachers, students
Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman and the Arizona Department of Education announced Monday the distribution of over $16 million to support Arizona’s public schools, educators, leaders, and families through strategic partnerships and initiatives.
These allocations, combined with previous announcements, total over $116 million in support of Arizona’s students and public schools.
“The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed many long-standing inequities impacting Arizona students and families,” said Superintendent Hoffman. “Through these partnerships and investments, the Department can, and should maximize the impact of these one-time federal dollars and ensure long-term recovery support for our public schools and the students they serve.”
The following are ADE Discretionary Fund Investments to date:
Student Equity & Achievement
NEW: $9.6 million – Partnership with ASU Prep Digital: Math Momentum
NEW: $1 million – Parent Educator Academy: All in Education
NEW: $500k – Special Education Cost Study
NEW: $100k – Opportunities for Youth
NEW: $500k – Holistic Youth Transformation Program: New Pathways for Youth
NEW: $300k – Time is Now Youth Mentorship: Big Brothers, Big Sisters
$5 million – Special Education Compensatory Services Fund
$1 million – Funding for Arizona’s Office of Indian Education
Educator Recruitment & Retention
NEW: $1 million – Diné Institute Teacher Fellows: Northern Arizona University
NEW: Additional $300k – Partnership with University of Arizona’s Center for Recruitment & Retention of Math Educators for Professional Development, for a total of $500k
$2.5 million – Partnership with ASU Prep Digital: Arizona Virtual Teacher Institute
$2.5 million – Partnership with Arizona K-12 Center: New Teacher Mentoring
Safe & Healthy Schools
NEW: Additional $100k – Social Emotional Learning: Trauma-Sensitive Training and Support for Schools, for a total of $470k
$21.3 Million – Addition of 140 School Counselor & Social Worker Positions through the School Safety Grant Program
Serving Arizona Schools Through the Pandemic and Beyond
NEW: $853k – Laptop and Hotspot Partnership with City of Phoenix
$2.3 Million – Support for Community Based Organizations, YMCA and Boys & Girls Club
$1.5 Million – Expanding Rural Broadband with the Final Mile Project
$15k – Kajeet Hotspots for Students & Families
Post-Secondary Access & Attainment
NEW: $600k – Partnership with AdviseAZ Americorps: College and Career Counseling
NEW: $1.5 million – Support for Ask Benji Chatbot: Increase FAFSA Completion Rates
$20k – Partnership with Arizona College Access Network
Additional Relief Funding for Public Schools
$44.6 million – Support for Non-Title I-A Local Education Agencies
$12.2 million – Additional Support for Title I-A Local Education Agencies
$6.3 million – Support for Career & Technical Education Districts
For more information, please visit: azed.gov/esser-setaside
Background:
In 2020 and 2021, Congress passed three separate COVID-19 federal relief packages. These packages delivered millions of dollars directly to schools and districts and, separately, provided the Arizona Department of Education with discretionary and required set aside ESSER funds to dedicate toward statewide strategic projects and investments. These investments are made to support schools’ recovery needs and increase learning opportunities for students through 2024.
Each of ADE’s allocations follow a rubric to ensure the following:
- Support for students and communities most impacted by COVID-19.
- Expand schools’ access to evidence-based programs and trainings.
- Address multiple factors that impact students’ academics, including:
- Social-emotional wellbeing
- Educator workforce shortages
- Family internet connectivity
- Ability to measure success and impact of investments
