June 3, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information Contact:
Jessica Fletcher, Senior Director, Communications & External Affairs
(cell) 859-539-0511
jessica.fletcher@
LEXINGTON, KY – The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is leading a campaign to inform Kentuckians about how the American Rescue Plan will benefit Kentucky’s students and help them recover from COVID-19’s impact on education. The organization has launched a webpage that includes an interactive map that displays the amount of funding each K-12 district will receive. It is also encouraging parents, students, and other education stakeholders to provide feedback to local boards of education about student needs coming out of the crisis. Prichard Committee staff are available to present information about the funding to local groups and organizations around the state.
“Meaningful consultation with families and community stakeholders is a requirement of the American Rescue Plan,” said Brigitte Blom Ramsey, Prichard Committee President & CEO. “Many districts are already engaging the community and we hope to see a sustained commitment over the next three years to these local guiding coalitions as a way to ensure full education recovery and building a new foundation for education success.”
Kentucky K-12 school districts will receive allocations through 2024 based on the percentage of low-income students enrolled. This is designed to help the students who were most negatively impacted by the pandemic.
Click the image above to visit our resource page which includes this interactive map, which includes the district allocations of the American Rescue Plan funds, the enrollment of the district’s student body, and the percentage of low-income students in the district (this is how local allocations were determined).
“With $2.1 billion now earmarked for Kentucky education recovery, we have an unprecedented opportunity to address the persistent achievement gaps in our system,” said Blom Ramsey. “Fortunately, there is still time for families, community members, and other education stakeholders to come to the table and have their voices heard.”
Local boards of education have until July 31 to submit their budget plans and fiscal assurances to the state’s department of education. They will be required to make these plans publicly available. The American Rescue Plan also requires that all proposed education intervention programs have been thoroughly researched to prove effectiveness. To learn more about some of the high-quality, evidence-based practices that have been approved for education recovery, visit EvidenceforEssa.org.
“We were pleased the federal law requires all interventions to equitably address the unique needs of underserved students: those living in poverty, experiencing homelessness, learning English, or living with a disability,” said Blom Ramsey. “We urge local decision-makers to actively seek out parents, caregivers, and students in these too-often underserved populations to hear their COVID experiences as part of designing holistic plans for an equitable recovery.”
For more information about the American Rescue Plan and Kentucky’s schools, visit the Prichard Committee’s website at prichardcommittee.org/arpinfo.
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The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led organization working to improve education in Kentucky – early childhood through postsecondary.
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