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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

July 20, 2020
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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

  1. Coronavirus Relief Fund School Reopening Grant
  2. Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios
  3. Picture of the Week: Planning for Re-opening at Monomoy Regional
  4. Two-Step Process and Online Form/Template for Fall Reopening Plans
  5. Updates on P-EBT Benefits
  6. Comments Sought on 21st CCLC Request for Flexibility
  7. Leveraging Student Teachers this Fall
  8. New Online Reports and Finance Data Updates
  9. Reminder about Directory Administration
  10. For Your Info:
    • Chromebooks for Kids
    • Relief for special education residential schools

1. Coronavirus Relief Fund School Reopening Grant:


The Department is pleased to announce the Coronarvirus Relief Fund (CvRF) School Reopening Grant Program. The grant will provide eligible school districts and charter schools with funding to support costs associated with reopening schools this fall. This funding, $225 per student based on FY21 foundation enrollment, is intended to supplement other resources that the Baker-Polito Administration is providing to cities and towns for COVID-19 response efforts, as well as funds made available by DESE through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) grants and the Remote Learning Technology Essentials grants.
 
All school districts and charter schools in the Commonwealth are eligible for the CvRF School Reopening Grant Program, except for the Boston Public Schools, municipal school districts in Plymouth County, and students from Plymouth County communities attending regional school districts. The City of Boston and Plymouth County are administering CvRF funds separately.
 
The grant can be used for expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020. Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 31, 2020.

2. Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios:


On Friday, July 17, DESE issued additional information on protocols for how schools and districts should respond to specific COVID-19 scenarios (download) this fall, including in school, on the bus, or in community settings. Please note that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may issue protocols related to this topic in the coming weeks, and the DESE guidance may be updated accordingly.

Picture of the Week:

On the Cape, Monomoy Regional School District administrators, department directors, nurses, and school leaders are holding a retreat this week to draft the preliminary re-opening plan summary that the district will submit to DESE this month. (Photo courtesy of Monomoy Regional School District)
Adults sit at tables in a library.

4. Two-Step Process and Online Form/Template for Fall Reopening Plans:


On Wednesday, July 15, DESE released an overview of the two-step process for district reopening plan submissions (download) and the online form for preliminary plan summaries due Friday, July 31.
 
Districts will submit their reopening plans to DESE through a two-step process:
  • Step 1: By Friday, July 31, districts must complete and submit a preliminary reopening plan summary to DESE. Districts will fill out an online form that will allow DESE to collect key summary information about districts’ reopening models and other planning considerations. 
  • Step 2: By Monday, August 10, districts must finalize their comprehensive plan documents, submit them to DESE, and release them publicly to their communities. This additional time will provide districts with an opportunity to incorporate any desired changes based on additional guidance DESE may release later in July, such as guidance on transportation and athletics. The Department strongly recommends that districts work with their school committee (or equivalent board) on policy questions relevant to the final plan before submission.
District leaders who have questions about the plan submission process or the online form can contact reopeningk12@mass.gov. Districts administrators who you need technical assistance with the online form (e.g. issues with technology or functionality) should contact research@doe.mass.edu.

5. Updates on P-EBT Benefits:


The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) added $199.50 in food benefits to each Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) card at the end of June. The amount was automatically added to existing cards; families do NOT need a new P-EBT card, and they do NOT need to reactivate their card. Families can check their balance by calling the number on the back of their card.
 
Families should have received a P-EBT card if one of their children was receiving free or reduced-price school meals under the National School Lunch Program before schools closed for the pandemic and they do not actively receive DTA benefits (SNAP and TAFDC). If families lost their P-EBT card or believe they are eligible and did not receive one, they should visit www.MAp-EBT.org. More information and outreach materials are also available at that site.

6. Comments Sought on 21st CCLC Request for Flexibility:

As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, DESE is asking the U.S. Department of Education for flexibility on the 300 hours that 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) schools funded under the Expanded Learning Time model (ELT) would be required to provide in addition to state mandated requirements during the 2020-21 school year. Massachusetts is seeking public comment on this request. Please submit any comments by Monday, August 3 to Karyl Resnick, coordinator of 21st Century Community Learning Centers, at karyl.a.resnick@mass.gov.

7. Leveraging Student Teachers this Fall:


The Department encourages districts to consider educator preparation candidates (prospective teachers, administrators, school counselors, etc.) as a resource in the return-to-school effort and to consider ways candidates can add to districts’ capacity to meet students’ needs. A pipeline of prospective educators will be critical to prevent educator shortages in the future, and candidates can help in-service teachers and students effectively engage in teaching and learning through any of the reopening models, whether in person, hybrid or remote learning. The Department encourages districts to work with educator preparation partners and keep in mind the practicum flexibilities (download) that DESE has granted this year. The Department’s “Leveraging Student Teachers” resource has suggestions on how to incorporate educator candidates into re-entry plans.

8. New Online Reports and Finance Data Updates:


The Department is piloting two new online reports available on the RADAR webpage:
  • A beta version of RADAR Benchmarking as a dynamic online report, and
  • The Student Sending and Receiving Report, a new report that shows school enrollment patterns based on where students reside, including those who enroll in districts through school choice, charter schools, and tuition agreements.
Updated FY19 finance data is also now available in RADAR Benchmarking, District Comparisons, District Town Data, and DART Staffing and Finance.

9. Reminder about Directory Administration:


Every summer, people transition to new roles within districts. The Department would like to remind directory administrators in each district to ensure that the contact information is up to date. Individuals can check the information listed for their schools and district on our Profiles pages. Up-to-date information is critical to ensure that On the Desktop messages to superintendents and other communications reach the people they should. More information about Directory Administration is available online, and directory administrators who need help can contact Data Services at diradmin@doe.mass.edu.

10. For your info:
  • Chromebooks for Kids: Kiss 108 radio is partnering with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents to raise money to help close technology gaps in Eastern Massachusetts schools. More information about the program and how to donate is available online.
  • Relief for special education residential schools: On Monday, July 13, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $16.1 million in relief for 32 special education residential schools to support costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, special education residential schools remained open to support their students with unique challenges. The funding announced on July 13 brings the schools in line with previous rate increases that were provided to other residential and congregate care providers.
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