GARDNER-SOUTH WILMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

500 East Main Street                                                Telephone (815) 237-2176

Gardner, IL 60424                                                Fax (815) 237-2842

Superintendent– Mr. Joshua DeLong                                Principal—Mr. John Engelman

ARP-ESSER III Funds Plan Overview: Under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III ARP Fund (ESSER III), the Department awards grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) for the purpose of providing local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are LEAs, with emergency relief funds to address the impact that Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools across the nation. LEAs must provide services to students and teachers in public schools as required under the American Rescue Plan Act.

GSW #73 Allotment: The Gardner South Wilmington High School District #73 has received an ESSER III allotment from the Illinois State Board of Education of $229,138. The funds may be utilized through September 30, 2024.

 Required Use of Funds: ARP-ESSER III funds must be used to implement prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent practicable, in line with the most recent CDC guidance, in order to continuously and safely operate schools for in-person learning. No less than 20 percent of the GSW #73 District’s total allocation of ARP ESSER funds will be used to address the academic impact of lost instructional time during the pandemic on the following items:  

• Hire a paraprofessional to assist with learning loss caused by the pandemic in multiple areas, but specifically assisting with special education students.
• Provide after school tutoring two days per week for three years to assist with learning loss caused by the pandemic
• Provide summer school/credit recovery for three years to assist with learning loss caused by the pandemic.
• Hire a lunchroom supervisor to free up teachers who are tasked with lunchroom supervision. Those teachers can then assist with interventions during our lunch RTI period.
• Purchase an additional 70 chromebooks to support remote learning and social distancing with 1:1
• School and student licenses for online intervention programs and credit recovery as a result of learning loss due to the pandemic
• Purchase additional classroom furniture to support social distancing and mitigation efforts
• Hire an additional part time custodian to improve disinfecting and sanitizing of the building in response and preparation of the pandemic.
• Purchase additional disinfectant and cleaning supplies to combat covid 19 and other viruses including but not limited to: PPE supplies and commercial scrubbing/disinfecting machines

ARP-ESSER III funds may also be used to repair and upgrade projects to improve air quality in school buildings. The GSW #73 School District  will use the remaining portion of these funds on the following projects:  Replace 3 older rooftop HVAC units with new units that include improved ventilation and air quality.  

All of these funds and measures will be equally distributed and available to all students and staff at GSW #73 regardless of race, gende, ethnicity or social economical status.