American Rescue Plan Use of Funds & Return to Learn Plan
American Rescue Plan Use of Funds
Itemized Description of American Rescue Plan (ESSER III) Funds
Public comment sessions on the American Rescue Plan use of funds are available at each School Board meeting which are held on the second Wednesday of each month in the Pleasant Hill CUSD #3 Board of Education Office.
This plan is used in conjunction with the Pleasant Hill CUSD #3 Return to Learn Plan which is included below.
The plan will be re-evaluated in June and December of each year through June 2024.
As needs evolve, the plan will be amended. Needs are and will continue to be determined through community surveys, public comment at School Board Meetings, and staff and student input. Specifically, staff and students will be consulted through quarterly District Leadership Team meetings which include the Superintendent, the Principal, the Special Education Coordinator, the Title I Coordinator, elementary staff, and high school staff.
A Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) will be formed and additional feedback will be welcome through PAC meetings.
As the plan is amended, it will be updated on the District website and social media.
Per USDE Guidance, the American Rescue Plan Use of Funds Plan must include the following information:
- How the school district engaged in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, including students; families; school and district administrators (including special education administrators); and teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and their unions:
- In the creation of this plan, the District surveyed the community and held both formal and informal conversations with stakeholders. The public is invited to attend all board meetings and are given the opportunity to give input on how grant money is spent.
- How it engaged in meaningful consultation with each of the following to the extent present in or served by the LEA:
- Stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities - The Special Education Coordinator and parents of students with IEPs were consulted via surveys and through formal and informal conversations.
- English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, migratory students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved students - Surveys and formal and informal conversations with stakeholders.
- How it will seek and take public input into account:
- Public comment is open at each School Board meeting. The public is invited to attend all board meetings and are given the opportunity to give input on how grant money is spent. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month in the Pleasant Hill CUSD #3 Board of Education Office. Any input regarding the use of funds will be discussed with the District Leadership Team and the Board of Education Finance Committee. If input is determined to be viable, it will be inserted into the plan via an amendment.
Pleasant Hill CUSD #3 Return to Learn Plan
2022-2023
Illinois schools have been provided mitigation strategies by the CDC, IDPH and ISBE. Each of these entities along with guidance from legal and liability resources advise schools on how to navigate the pandemic. The use and removal of strategies should be deliberate, strategic and with considered judgment by the Board of Education. Pleasant Hill schools intend to use the strategies promoted by CDC and IDPH throughout the 2022-2023 school year and adjust as local needs determine.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) required schools to return to in-person learning at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. In accordance with the most recent release of CDC, IDPH, and ISBE school guidance, layered mitigations will still be in place, such as increased sanitizing, especially in common areas. If local conditions change, mitigations may be removed or added, as deemed necessary by the Adams County Health Department or the Pleasant Hill School Board.
While Pleasant Hill cannot eliminate the risk of COVID-19 or other communicable diseases, schools will work to mitigate risk and related issues. The following document outlines the specific procedures and plans for Pleasant Hill CUSD #3, as known today. These are subject to change as ISBE guidance is updated and changed.
Attendance
- The school day will be 8:15 am - 2:30 pm.
- Students who are not feeling well should not attend school. Parents are asked to contact the school office as soon as possible.
- Students who are sent home ill as well as those who are absent from school will work through a re-entry plan with the school nurse.
- Doctors notes for admittance to school will be followed.
- IPDH guidelines for communicable disease will be followed.
- Students missing school due to illness will have access to technology and tools to access curriculum.
Health Screenings
Only students and staff who are healthy should report to school. Anyone with a fever, measured temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater or vomiting must stay home. The following are a list of other symptoms to consider:
- Fever or chills
- Cough/Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Nausea
Meal Service
K-12 breakfast and lunch will be served in each school's cafeteria. Breakfast will begin at 7:30 am and continue through 8:00 am.
Cleaning, disinfecting and Ventilation
- Schools will promote cleaning, disinfecting and ventilation strategies promoting a healthy learning environment.
- School water fountains will be open.
- Opportunities for “fresh air” activities will be provided as much as possible. Hand and Respiratory Hygiene
- Students will be cued and encouraged to wash hands frequently.
- Students will be cued to use healthy strategies when coughing or sneezing.
Athletics
- School athletics will follow the rules provided by IHSA and IESA in accordance with CDC, IDPH and ISBE guidelines.
Transportation
- CDC/IDPH and ISBE guidelines will be followed.
Student and Staff Resources
For students who need additional academic or emotional support during this school year, please consider the following:
- Contacting the school nurse, classroom teacher or school principal
- Reach out to school guidance staff or social workers.
- Participate in after-school tutoring
- Participate in counseling through the Mental Health Center of Western Illinois
Based on recommendations and new guidelines from the Adams County Health Department, IDPH and CDC the plan can be modified. At a minimum of every 6 months based on these updates the plan will be reviewed and revised for safe to in-person instruction and community services. There will be opportunities for public comment at each scheduled monthly board meeting.
