LEA Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services
Section 2001(i)(1) of the ARP Act requires each local educational agency (LEA) that receives ARP ESSER funds to develop and make publicly available on the LEA’s website, no later than 30 days after receiving ARP ESSER funds, a plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services. In New Mexico, districts and state-chartered charter schools are LEAs.
This is a federal requirement and is not the same as the past state requirement for LEAs to submit Reentry Plans.
Pursuant to ARP requirements, LEAs must post on their website a fully compliant Plan for Safe Return to In-person Instruction and Continuity of Services by December 24, 2021.
This is the template we are providing for you to complete the ARP ESSER Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services. The template incorporates the federally-required components of this plan.
This template incorporates the federally-required components of the LEA Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services.
PED hopes this template will allow LEAs to efficiently and effectively plan and to easily post their LEA Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services on their websites as required by the ARP Act.
| The LEA must regularly, but no less frequently than every six months (taking into consideration the timing of significant changes to CDC guidance on reopening schools), review and, as appropriate, revise its Plan for Safe Return to In-person Instruction and Continuity of Services through September 30, 2023 | |
| Date of Revision | December 9, 2021 |
| District ID | County | LEA NAME |
| 567 | Doña Ana | Las Montañas Charter |
| How the LEA will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policies, on each of the following safety recommendations established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html | ||
| CDC Safety Recommendations | Has the LEA Adopted a Policy? (Y/N) | Describe LEA Policy: |
| Universal and correct wearing of masks | Y | All individuals must wear masks while inside of the school building. Masks must be fitted properly and worn over the nose. |
| Modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing (e.g., use of cohorts/podding) | Yes | Staff and students are trained on safe transitions. Social distancing is maintained while students are in class and eating lunch. Students are all facing the same direction. Students will eat on our outdoor patio (weather permitting). Lunch will be divided into three separate time periods to limit the number of student interactions. |
| Handwashing and respiratory etiquette | Yes | Staff and students have access to Handwashing stations or sanitizing stations which are placed around the school. Signage on the proper way to wash hands is placed throughout the school. All individuals in the building will socially distance themselves to the greatest extent possible and wear masks at all times. |
| Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation | Yes | Deep cleaning and disinfecting of facilities occur daily. MERV-13 filter or better installed in HVAC. Several portable air purifiers are located throughout the school. |
| Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments | Yes | Will collect and maintain information on all individuals in the building. An isolation room has been established, and quarantine protocols will be followed. A determination will be made on who will be a close contact should a positive Covid-19 case be confirmed. |
| Diagnostic and screening testing | Yes | Unvaccinated staff will be required to test on a weekly basis and submit results to the administration. The school has begun surveillance testing with Premier Medical Group beginning December 2, 2021 |
| Efforts to provide vaccinations to school communities | Yes | All staff has had the opportunity to get vaccinated including booster shots. A vaccination campaign has been provided to students and families. The school will continue to promote vaccinations to unvaccinated individuals in the school community |
| Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies | Yes | All health and safety policies will include children with disabilities while following IEP’s or 504 plans. |
| Coordination with State and local health officials | Yes | The school will make every effort to coordinate with state and local health officials and with state and local policies. |
| How the LEA will ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address students’ academic needs and students’ and staff social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services | |
| How the LEA will Ensure Continuity of Services? | |
| Services including but not limited to student academic needs and student and staff social emotional mental health and including food services will continue to be provided regardless of circumstances. | |
| How will the LEA address Students’: | |
| Academic Needs? | Students’ academic needs will be met through a variety of systems, programs and policies based on individual needs. All students have a mobile device and access to connectivity and all curriculum can be accessed online via google classrooms and other learning platforms. |
| Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs? | SEL and mental health needs are addressed through a mandatory SLC (Student Learning Community) class. School has a social worker on campus and a referral service to access community agencies as needed. |
| Other Needs (which may include student health and food services)? | Students are served a free breakfast and lunch every instructional day. Homeless resources and services are also provided. |
| How will the LEA address Staff: | |
| Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs? | The staff has access to a school social worker and other resources from community organizations. |
| Other Needs? | Leave policies have been revised to comply with new NM Legislation. |
| Public Input | |
| Describe the process used to seek public input, and how that input was taken into account in the revision of the plan. | Public meetings were held in October and November with Covid Safe Practices on the agenda. Surveys were sent out to the school community and the public. Phone calls were made to parents. |
| Understandable and Uniform Format | |
| Describe the process by which the LEA will, to the extent practicable, present the plan written in a language that parents can understand. Or, if it is not practicable to provide written translations to a parent with limited English proficiency, describe the process for orally translating the plan for such parents. | The plan will be posted on the school website and social media sites in English and Spanish. Interpreters will also be available to translate the plan. |
| Describe the process by which a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the ADA, will be provided a version of the plan in an alternative format accessible to that parent. | Any person who request, will be provided a copy of the plan that is in alternative format that is accessible to that person. |
U.S. Department of Education Interim Final Rule (IFR)
LEA Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services
An LEA must describe in its plan under section 2001(i)(1) of the ARP Act for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services –
- How it will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policies, on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC:
- Universal and correct wearing of masks.
- Modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing (e.g., use of cohorts/podding).
- Handwashing and respiratory etiquette.
- Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation.
- Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments.
- Diagnostic and screening testing.
- Efforts to provide vaccinations to school communities.
- Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies.
- Coordination with State and local health officials.
- How it will ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address students’ academic needs and students’ and staff social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services.
- During the period of the ARP ESSER award established in section 2001(a) of the ARP Act, an LEA must
- regularly, but no less frequently than every six months (taking into consideration the timing of significant changes to CDC guidance on reopening schools), review and, as appropriate, revise its plan for the safe return to in- person instruction and continuity of services.
- In determining whether revisions are necessary, and in making any revisions, the LEA must seek public input and take such input into account.
- If at the time the LEA revises its plan the CDC has updated its guidance on reopening schools, the revised plan must address the extent to which the LEA has adopted policies, and describe any such policies, for each of the updated safety recommendations.
- If an LEA developed a plan prior to enactment of the ARP Act that meets the statutory requirements of section 2001(i)(1) and (2) of the ARP Act but does not address all the requirements in paragraph (a), the LEA must, pursuant to paragraph (b), revise and post its plan no later than six months after receiving its ARP ESSER funds to meet the requirements in paragraph (a).
- An LEA’s plan under section 2001(i)(1) of the ARP Act for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services must be—
- In an understandable and uniform format;
- To the extent practicable, written in a language that parents can understand or, if it is not practicable to provide written translations to a parent with limited English proficiency, be orally translated for such parent; and
- Upon request by a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the ADA, provided in an alternative format accessible to that parent.
The IFR and ARP statute, along with other helpful resources, are located here:
April 2021 IFR: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-04-22/pdf/2021-08359.pdf
ARP Act text: https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr1319/BILLS-117hr1319enr.pdf
ED COVID-19 Handbook Volume I: https://www2.ed.gov/documents/coronavirus/reopening.pdf
ED COVID-19 Handbook Volume II: https://www2.ed.gov/documents/coronavirus/reopening-2.pdf
ESEA Evidence-Based Guidance: https://oese.ed.gov/files/2020/07/guidanceuseseinvestment.pdf
ED FAQs for ESSER and Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER): https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/05/ESSER.GEER_.FAQs_5.26.21_745AM_FINALb0cd6833f6f46e03ba2d97d30aff953260028045f9ef3b18ea602db4b32b1d99.pdf
