Athens City Schools is looking for feedback from stakeholders, including parents, on how it should go about using a new share of federal funds.

ACS received $5,711,862 through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER), with about $1.14 million of that set aside for addressing learning loss outside of the regular school day, according to a release from the system. ARP ESSER is a federal grant meant to help schools reopen in-person instruction safely, sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

ACS has released a seven-question survey to ask students’ parents, local advocacy groups and area businesses how they think the funds should be used. This is the third round of federal funding received by ACS since the CARES Act was signed last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is a component in the application (for federal funds) that requires some input from the community,” said Jennifer Sallee, federal program and technology administrator for ACS. “We had already surveyed faculty, staff and administrators before, when we were looking at the second round of funding. This is for public feedback and input. Following the survey, we will likely have focus group and meetings with parents to discuss our plan.”

The questions include what additional high-quality instructional materials, professional development and unfinished learning supports should be considered, as well as how survey takers feel lost instruction time can best be addressed. Multiple options are given as potential answers on three of the questions.

The final question in the survey asks takers to share any recommendations they have for ACS that have not already been addressed.

“We got a really good idea form faculty and staff, but we don’t see everything,” Sallee said. “Parents and especially advocacy groups may see things in a different light on how students have been impacted by coronavirus.”

While $5.7 million may sound like a lot of money, Sallee said this grant is meant to last through September 2024 to help sustain in-person learning at city schools and counter learning loss caused by remote instruction.

“We were very proud to have been able to reopen in-person learning at the beginning of the school year last year because, as has been acknowledged nationwide, remote learning is very difficult,” she said. “We know there were some students who were remotely learning that are going to possibly need some catch-up. That is why 20% of the funds is earmarked by the government specifically for instructional loss, and it has to be outside the regular school day.”

Sallee said she is “very happy” the federal government has realized that the COVID-19 pandemic may have a long-term impact on school systems that has yet to be discovered and has provided this funding.

She said there is no immediate end date for the survey to be taken down, so stakeholders will have ample time to provide their feedback. Visit bit.ly/3vJ4VbD to take the survey.