Feds approve Nevada plan to spend COVID-19 relief funds for schools

The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday it had approved Nevada’s plan to spend federal coronavirus school relief money.

Nevada’s plan for spending the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funding calls for the money to be used for school reopening and to “sustain the safe operation of schools and equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most, particularly those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a news release.

In total, the state is receiving more than $1 billion in ARP ESSER funds. With the approval of the state’s plan, the remaining $358 million is being released.

The state’s plan also prioritizes “supporting the social, emotional, and mental wellbeing of our students, educators, and staff; addressing the impacts of interrupted learning; and recruiting and retaining the effective educators needed to meet those goals,” Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert said in the news release.

So far, the U.S. Department of Education has approved 37 state plans for ARP ESSER funding since June.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.