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ARP ESSER/Act 24 Allocations

School Districts and Charter Schools

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was enacted on March 11, 2021. This Act required State Education Agencies (SEAs), like the Department, to set-aside certain percentages of their total state ARP ESSER allocation for specific purposes. The ARP Act required 5% of ARP ESSER funds ($250 million) to be set-aside for learning loss, 1% of ARP ESSER funds ($50 million) to be set-aside for summer enrichment programs, and another 1% of ARP ESSER funds ($50 million) to be set-aside for comprehensive afterschool programs.

In June 2021, the General Assembly and Governor Wolf enacted Act 24 of 2021, which allocated these three ARP ESSER set-aside funds to school districts and charter schools based on their share of Title I-A funds for 2020-21.

Act 24 also required school districts and charter schools to allocate certain minimum percentages of their share of the 5% ARP ESSER set-aside for learning loss to target specific programs and supports as follows:

  • At least 30% must be targeted to social, emotional, or mental health supports to students
  • At least 10% must be targeted to professional development and technical assistance to educators and school staff to address the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students
  • At least 8% must be targeted to reading support and improvement for students

While school districts and charter schools must allocate at least the minimum percentages identified in Act 24 to the relevant areas above, they are permitted to use their remaining ARP ESSER set-aside funds for learning loss more broadly to implement evidence-based interventions to address learning loss and provide summer enrichment and comprehensive after-school programs in response to the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students, particularly subgroups of students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.