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ESSER III Funds

As a single school district, Elementary & Secondary Education Emergency Relief Grant 2021 (ESSERIII) funds for Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School prioritized needs of all grade 9-12 students at both school and district-wide levels, with spending to conclude as of September 30, 2024. The ESSER III Grant provided opportunities for the district to increase access to educational materials, mental health support, and technology, as well as resources to address learning loss  to support overall student success during the pandemic, while simultaneously providing a foundation for ongoing and continued success for years to come.

ESSER III funding implementation from FY22-FY25 has touched upon all aspects of student life at BVT during the pandemic:
•    Hiring an additional nurse during the pandemic provided all students and staff with another health services team member dedicated to a variety of COVID-19 tasks and supports.
•    The district addressed and monitored mental health/well-being for all students and staff while expanding a positive and supportive learning environment through the use of a school-wide social, emotional learning curriculum (Character Strong) and a school climate survey.
•    Hiring a Quarantine Liaison supported all students in quarantine through monitoring academic, vocational, social, emotional, and behavioral progress and supported remote learning engagement. The Quarantine Liaison monitored activities, maintained accessible, inclusive learning environments, as well as ensured students from all subgroups remained connected to resources and support systems needed for their overall success.
•    Equitable access to technology for students and staff was provided in preparation for cases of remote learning needed by students or staff. All students and instructors needed devices, proper connectivity, and software in order to successfully complete assignments and limit/prevent any instances of learning loss.
•    Increased course offerings utilizing evidence-based methods, including AP courses and acceleration academies, ensured students were provided with advanced curriculum and instruction to address any learning loss resulting from the pandemic.
•    Using the Zoom platform and other educational software, the district remained connected to families and our community for special events through remote platforms when they could not come to BVT in person. Additionally, if students or staff had to enter into forced quarantine due to COVID-19, the district had to ensure they were still able to safely continue learning/teaching and were not excluded from learning or falling behind in their studies due to quarantine related absences.
 


QUESTIONS?
If you have questions about the ESSER III Funds, send your concerns and questions to: office@valleytech.k12.ma.us.