Local schools to receive over $120 million from American Rescue Plan
CROCKETT COUNTY, Tenn. — School districts around West Tennessee are set to benefit from recent funding boosts, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Schools across America are set to receive around $121 billion in extra funding, as part of the “ESSER 3.0” fund, which stands for “Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief.”
In West Tennessee, many are receiving sums almost double what they received before.
“It’s around 3.2 million in ESSER 3.0. I think it was around 1.7 million, prior to 3.0,” said Phillip Pratt, Crockett County Director of Schools.
In Tennessee, the funding is allocated by the Title I program, which determines how many low-income or economically disadvantaged students a school district has.
In West Tennessee, Jackson-Madison County is the biggest recipient by far, with over $37 million.
Altogether, local school districts will receive over $120 million:
- Jackson-Madison County
- Hardeman County — $9.4 million
- McNairy County — $9.3 million
- Hardin County — $9.1 million
- Dyersburg City — $8.9 million
- Weakley County — $8.7 million
- Henry County — $7.8 million
- Henderson County — $6.7 million
- Dyer County — $6.2 million
- Paris City — $4.3 million
But there’s an added bonus. The first round of funding could not be used for infrastructure projects.
The second round and the most recent round can be.
“With the third set of money, where you got a larger amount of money, you can do more things as far as infrastructure, when you talk about structural changes to the school building,” Pratt said.
In Crockett County, the bulk of the early funding was used to adjust to distance learning. With the recent money, they are now looking at other options.
“The main thing it’s going to help with is long-term solutions: roofs, buildings, things that we can use the money on that in the past, the state hadn’t funded,” Pratt said.
They are still waiting for more details from the state department about what they can use it for. But no matter how you slice it, this money is a huge deal for schools.
“Being able to take that money at one time, and not being able to worry about it for 10 to 15 years will be something that will benefit our school tremendously,” Pratt said.
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