Okemah

Okemah Public Schools                                                                                                       ARP ESSER III Funds FY25

The ESSER3 Consultation Team held a Use of Funds public meeting in Sep. 2022 to engage with stakeholders and give the public an opportunity to provide input. The team consisted of parents/guardians, school and district administrators, teachers, support staff, principals, school leaders, staff and union representatives, and tribal members. The $1,982.641.36 will be used to implement prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent practicable, consistent with the most recent CDC guidance on reopening schools, in order to continuously and safely open and operate schools for in-person learning. Okemah Public Schools will use the funding as follows:

Okemah Public Schools will use the 20% of funds reserved under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP ($396,528.27) to address learning loss:

• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to address learning loss by hiring 2-3 certified teachers to serve as reading or math specialists or reading or math interventionists. Data show that our students have a marked learning deficit in reading, reading comprehension, and numeracy. We have previously employed a reading interventionist and were pleased with the results. We would like to expand the program to address the needs of more students. *accomplished SY 22- 23; continued SY 23-24
• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to address learning loss by possibly reinstating T-1 for students who are not academically ready to promote from 1st grade to 2nd grade. This would provide targeted remediation in reading and math for struggling students. *accomplished SY 22-23
• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to continue after-school remediation and/or tutoring at all sites. *continuing SY 22-23, SY 23-24
• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to retain three certified teachers whose positions are at risk for a RIF. Retaining these teachers would allow our district to continue to have smaller class sizes, thereby allowing greater social distancing. It also allow our district to continue to offer instruction in courses we would otherwise have to reduce or eliminate. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23, SY 23-24

• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to provide an elementary counselor who helps our students with mental health concerns, social-emotional concerns, and academic concerns. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23
• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to pay for summer remediation for struggling students. Certain teachers at each site worked in the summer of 2021 to address learning loss and to help students be better prepared for the return to school in August of 2021. We will continue to offer summer remediation as funding allows.*continuing
• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to pay salaries and benefits for additional special education paraprofessionals to assist special needs students with learning loss and remediation. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23, SY 23-24
• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to provide online courses with direct access to online instructor for students needing credit recovery, remediation, or enrichment.*continuing
• OPS plans to use the 20% set aside to address leaning loss by adding an online supplemental math program for 3rd grade students. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23, SY 23-24
• OPS has hired a certified administrator to serve as the Director of Student Services whose primary focus is to identify and support students most at-risk due to poor attendance, learning concerns, etc. *accomplished SY 22-23 , continuing 23-24
• OPS has hired an academic coach to work with middle school students who are struggling academically *accomplished SY 22-23, continuing 23-24

Okemah Public Schools will spend its remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent with section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act by seeking to spend $1,586,113.09 the next three years on the following:

• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to cover custodial salaries for at least two years. This may include regular contract hours and additional extra-duty hours as required due to additional cleaning and sanitizing of school sites. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23

• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to replace flooring at certain sites. We have requested ESSER II approval to replace flooring at other sites, and we will request approval to replace flooring not covered under ESSER II. We would like to replace the flooring with a surface that is easier to clean, maintain, and sanitize. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23
• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to continue upgrades of school site HVAC systems. We are requesting approval to use ESSER II funds to begin this project and will request approval to complete the project with ESSER III funds.*started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23
• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to continue to offer our online platform Acellus. This platform allows us to supplement coursework in person and also provides a fully virtual option for our students who elect to attend in a fully-virtual learning model. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23, continuing SY 23-24
• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to purchase new tables for the high school media center to accommodate concurrent, online, and hybrid learning students. *accomplished SY 22-23
• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to purchase a 33-passenger bus with a wheelchair lift to transport students. *scheduled for SY 22-23
• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to purchase a new passenger van and passenger sedan to transport students and deliver meals as necessary.*scheduled for SY 22-23 *one mini bus will be purchased instead; planned for SY 24-25
• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to purchase and install additional security cameras to assist with contact tracing. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23
• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to pay a professional carpet cleaning company to clean certain high-traffic areas and classrooms to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. *accomplished SY 21-22
• OPS will use remaining ARP-ESSER III funds to pay for the lease and maintenance of additional copy/print machines to assist with printing of learning packets, COVID notifications, parent/family engagement materials, etc. *started SY 21-22, continuing SY 22-23