• Albert Lea Area Schools

    Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Spending Plan

    In response to the pandemic, the federal government has provided funds to each state to help meet the needs of Pre K- Grade 12 students.  Minnesota has distributed those funds to public, charter and non-public schools in several phases. 

    In the largest single distribution of the ESSER funds, the district is receiving $5,244,410.  Twenty percent of that amount ($1,048,882) must be reserved for after-school and summer school programming.  The remaining $4,195,528 is available for a wide range of uses.  We have until September 2024 to expend the funds.

    The district will use the funds to address the academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of our students:

    • Hire a Resource Specialist for each school to work with teachers, students and families to address academic needs
    • Hire an additional Dean of Students at the high school to address student needs
    • Hire two additional counselors and one additional social worker to address student social, emotional and mental health needs
    • Hire an additional licensed school nurse to help students and families through covid-related disruptions
    • Hire a full-time teacher substitute at each school to address staffing shortages
    • Add clerical support for the Online Academy
    • Fund replacement cycle of student iPad and Chromebooks
    • Backfill funding gap from other revenue sources
    • Purchase curriculum to re-engage students
    • Add a position to oversee career pathways, technology and innovation

    To access the district's allocations visit MDE ESSER III Spending Plans webpage 

    Please email input for this plan to welisten@alschools.org