The COVID-19 pandemic first hit, it significantly impacted the learning of Pearland ISD students and students around the state and country. In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law by President Biden and included $122 billion for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds for school districts across America. This is the third law providing funding as a response to the pandemic; the ARP is also referred to as ARP ESSER III. 

TEA requires districts to apply in two allocations for the funding.  Pearland ISD is eligible to receive a total of $12,823,387, and applied for the first two-thirds of that amount ($8,548,925) in its first allocation application.

TEA has posted information about the ARP ESSER III grant process for Texas school districts here.

On May 20, 2021, the district emailed staff, parents, and students a survey link to gather input on how to use the funds. The survey link was also placed on the district homepage and shared via social media so all stakeholders could participate and provide input.  The survey was available in English and Spanish, and was available through May 27, 2021.  A notice of intent to apply was placed on the June 8, 2021 agenda of the Pearland ISD school board so stakeholders could have another opportunity to speak and provide input on the grant. 

Through the above methods of meaningful consultation and outreach, the district received feedback from all categories of stakeholders, including, but not limited to: students, parents/families, teachers, principals, district administrators (including special education administrators), other school personnel, afterschool or summer staff/educators, non-profit after school providers, civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations), stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities, English language learners, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, migrant students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved students.  The top three responses from the survey for Use of Funds were to provide: 1) instructional materials (including digital resources); 2) activities and outreach to meet the academic needs of students, extended school hours, summer enrichment, tutoring, and staff development to accelerate learning; and 3) funding to fill gaps in the budget that arose from responding to the pandemic.

Based on the feedback from stakeholders, school board discussions, and grant requirements, Pearland ISD submitted its application July 22, 2021 to receive its share of ARP ESSER III funding ($8,548,925). 

The district completed Program Schedule (PS) 3014 of the application with a description of the program activities planned for ARP ESSER III funds.

For the required Learning Loss portion of the first allocation ($1,756,387), the district plans to use ARP ESSER III funds in the 2021-2022 school year to provide:

• digital devices (and associated security software) to all students as a tool to reduce the academic impact of lost instruction from the pandemic and implement regular/substantive academic instruction, including intervention/tutoring during the school day and support for those attending supplemental after-school programs and summer learning programs and enhancing learning at home, including to address the academic needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care to address academic needs due to the pandemic (providing technology for online learning for all students).
• teacher and administrator professional development, including Reading Academies staff development, to address pandemic-related learning loss among district students in order to effectively implement evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of students, including low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care. 
• additional staff to support and address the unique needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth due to the pandemic through the addition of Dyslexia teachers and funding Outreach truancy case managers.
• social, mental, and emotional health needs support for all students, in particular underserved populations, and staff through the Character Strong Program.

The district used the non-Learning Loss portion of the first allocation ($6,792,538) to provide for the continued employment of staff by funding payroll expenses including while the district was closed or operating remotely due to the pandemic, and to provide funding for the December 2020 mid-year pay supplement given to employees to retain employees. As most of these expenses occurred prior to applying for the grant, these payroll expenses make up almost all of the $5,881,852 in the application for what is referred to as Pre-Award costs.  Almost all of the Learning Loss portion of this allocation are for expenses in the 2021-2022 school year, as only $10,000 of the Learning Loss portion is considered Pre-Award costs.

The district did not use ARP ESSER III funds in this first allocation to implement prevention and mitigation strategies consistent with CDC to safely reopen and operate in-person learning. 

Pearland ISD was allocated an additional $4,278,605 to bring its final allocation to $12,827,530.  A Notice of Intent to apply for the second allocation through an amendment to the original grant was placed for Public Hearing on the November 9, 2021 school board meeting.  No one provided public comment at the hearing.  There was also a survey emailed out to parents, students, and staff on October 15, 2022 seeking input on use of the funds.  The survey link was also posted on the district webpage.  The survey closed on October 27, 2021.  The survey was available in English and Spanish.  There were 1845 responses to the survey. 

The top three responses for use of funds to impact learning loss were: 1) To provide instructional materials (including digital resources), activities, and outreach to meet the academic needs of students; 2) To provide resources and tools to help students, parents, and families to improve student engagement and academic success; and 3) To provide students with disabilities services that were disrupted due to Covid-10. 

The top three responses for use of funds to in non-learning loss areas were: 1) To provide funding to fill gaps in the budget that arose from responding to the pandemic; 2) To provide HVAC filters and facility updates for clearer indoor air quality; 2) To provide cleaning supplies to disinfect facilities, personal protective equipment, and training of personnel on safety procedures.

These results were shared with district administrators.  In response to the input, the district evaluated all possible funding sources and needs to maximize the effectiveness of ARP ESSER III funding.  The district submitted its amended application for the entire allocation on January 27, 2022. The district increased its set aside for activities to address Learning Loss to $6,229,601 for the same activities to address Learning Loss as in the original application:

• digital devices (and associated security software) to all students as a tool to reduce the academic impact of lost instruction from the pandemic and implement regular/substantive academic instruction, including intervention/tutoring during the school day and support for those attending supplemental after-school programs and summer learning programs and enhancing learning at home, including to address the academic needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care to address academic needs due to the pandemic in the 2021-2022 school year.

Note: Information from this survey was shared with the school board at the board meeting on November 9, 2021.  

This amount accounted for all of the increase in the district's final allocation.

The grant was awarded for the final amount on February 28, 2022.  

ARP ESSER III requires district to have a Return to In Person Instruction and Continuity of Services (RIPICS) Plan. ARP ESSER III statute requires that the district explain its procedures relative to CDC guidance. Pearland ISD has reviewed local, county, state, and federal Covid-19 safety requirements and guidelines for students and staff for in-person instruction and maintaining services, as required in the ARP ESSER III.   

Pearland ISD is dedicated to providing health response protocols due to the impact of the pandemic. The district has posted its Covid-19 Health Response Protocols for students, parents, staff, and the community. This web page is updated frequently as the Covid-19 pandemic impact on Pearland ISD students and staff changes.  The linked page notes the date of the most recent update. 

These health and safety protocols provide Covid-19 general health protocols,  indicators, and thresholds, as well as prevention and mitigation strategies and isolation and quarantine timeframes. There is also a FAQ posted at the link.

Pearland ISD is dedicated to providing a high-quality education to all Pearland ISD students.

High Quality Instruction

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pearland ISD is dedicated to providing a high-quality education through evidence-based curriculum and instructional practices to meet the needs of all Pearland ISD students.  Pearland ISD will continue to make student academic performance its top priority, through the use of data, technology, and differentiated instruction. 

Intervention for Learning Loss

Pearland ISD is dedicated to addressing learning loss due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The district will provide timely and targeted intervention to reduce long-term academic gaps.  Early data indicates that school closures and disruptions in school year (SY) 19-20 and SY 20-21 are likely to result in unfinished learning for many students statewide, making multi-year recovery and acceleration supports even more crucial. Pearland ISD will utilize high-impact tutoring to increase learning gains for students.

1:1 Device Utilization

The district provides devices for all students to enhance and support academic learning.  Students have an opportunity to access the following:

• Tablets for Grades PK-1
• Laptops for Grades 2-12

The district website provides device specifications for students who elect to use personal devices.

Specialized Programs

Students in specialized programs including but not limited to, Special Education, Section 504, Dyslexia, English Learners, Gifted and Talented, Career and Technical Education, or Dual Credit, will receive additional support to address student needs.  

Pearland ISD is dedicated to providing academic, social, and emotional support to students and staff to help build resiliency skills.  

Counselor Support: School counselors will focus on prevention, intervention and postvention activities. Students will have opportunities to participate in individual and group counseling. Community resources will be available to share with students, parents and staff.

Outreach Support: The Outreach/Attendance department provides a district-wide approach to engage students to stay in school and maintain high student attendance and graduation rates.

Social and Emotional Needs for Students and Staff

Pearland ISD will support the physical and mental health of all students and staff.  

Plans include:

• Professional learning opportunities on social and emotional learning (SEL) and trauma-informed classrooms. 
• In-class instructional opportunities on social and emotional learning, following specific SEL competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making).
• Curriculum to support digital and social milestones.
• Community resources for mental health supports for students and employees.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for counseling support for staff. 
• Home and/or virtual visits to provide academic, social and emotional support to students.
• Monitor student academic engagement.
• Intervention support to remove barriers for unforeseen circumstances.

The RIPICS district committee meeting met on May 3, 2023 to review public feedback and input and changes to the district's high quality instruction, student and staff support, and student and staff COVID-19 related health protocols.  There was no pubic feedback and input provided through either school board meetings, consultation with district SHAC committee, or the online survey. District leaders made no changes to current practices.  The district will not need to review a RIPICS again as the review requirement for the grant ends before the next 6-month deadline of November 3, 2023 and the district has expended all ARP ESSER III funds. The survey link will remain open through September 30, 2023.

To provide input, please see the ARP ESSER III Stakeholder Input section below.

The school board held a workshop on April 20, 2021 to discuss plans for Face-to-Face Instruction for the 2021-2022 School Year, Limitations of Remote Learning for the 2021-2022 School Year, and Budget Planning for 2021-2022.  The agenda can be found here.  The YouTube livestream can be found here.  As an outcome of this meeting, all three Pledges of the Proceeding with Purpose Plan were drafted.  District stakeholders met on May 28, 2021 to review and revise all three pledges and the websites were created after the meeting to serve as the district's RIPICS plan for ARP ESSER III.

There was a district COVID Response Protocol Meeting on August 9, 2021, to review and revise the Covid-19 protocols address in Pearland ISD Pledge #1: Health and Safety.  Revisions were posted to Pledge #1 after the meeting.  

There was a district stakeholder RIPICS review of the Pearland ISD's Proceeding with Purpose Plan on November 9, 2021 via TEAMS.  Public stakeholder feedback was shared with the district stakeholders.  The public feedback came from the survey posted on this web page in the next section below, the participants of the district's Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) from their October 11 and November 8, 2021 meetings, and summaries of the public comment portion of school board meetings since August. An overview of the public feedback from all avenues of input is as follows:

• The district should implement prevention and mitigation strategies consistent with CDC to safely reopen and operate in-person learning; update the HVAC and air filtering systems at school buildings
• The district should return to in-person instruction
• It is very important for everyone to be clearly informed
• Students are behind academically and there are emotional challenges; teachers feeling stressed
• Students are lacking socialization skills [from having been remote learners last year]
• Please require masks (from school board public comment)
• Please do not require masks (from school board public comment)

The district RIPICS stakeholders reviewed each of the Pledges and no new updates were needed for Pledges #2 and #3.  Pledge #1 updated the wording on vaccinations to more clearly indicate that the district encourages all eligible staff and students to be vaccinated (in response to CDC update on November 5, 2021). The district will continue to follow 25 Tex. Admin. Code §97.7. regarding Covid-19 testing requirements (in response to CDC update on October 22, 2021).  There was no change to district procedures in Pledge #1.   Pearland ISD will continue to monitor for CDC updates, as well as updates from state and local health authorities. 

The district RIPICS committee met to conduct the 6-month review of the Proceeding with Purpose Plan and Pledges on May 4, 2022. Prior to the meeting, members of the district's SHAC committee were asked to complete an evaluation of the district's response to Covid-19 and Proceeding with Purpose Plan. The results of the evaluation survey were shared with the district RIPICS stakeholders.  The committee also reviewed the responses from the open survey for public comment posted on this website.  There were no public comments related to district Covid-19 protocols provided at school board meetings held prior to the May 4, 2022 RIPICS district committee meeting.

In reviewing the district's response to Covid-19 practices and the posted Proceeding with Purpose Pledges, the district removed items from the pledges for practices that are no longer done (removing testing qualifications for staff for district Covid leave as there is no more funding for Covid leave and social and emotional resources for parents to help student return to school in August 2021) and updated the Proceeding with Purpose Pledge #1: Health and Safety accordingly. The Proceeding with Purpose Pledge #1 was renamed Covid-19 Health Response Protocols for the 2022-2023 school year.

While no procedural changes were needed to the other two Proceeding with Purpose Pledges (High Quality Instruction and Student and Staff Support), these pages were removed as stand alone website pages and embedded in this webpage for ARP ESSER III documentation. 

There was an ARP ESSER III RIPICS stakeholder review scheduled for November 9, 2022, but due to a technology disruption, the meeting was held November 28, 2023.  Stakeholder feedback from school board public comment, SHAC committee feedback, and the website open survey were shared with district administrators.  No changes were made to district RIPICS at this meeting.

The district will continue to seek public stakeholder input through the methods outlined in the following Stakeholder and Public Input on Use of Funds & RIPICS section.

Stakeholder and public input on ARP ESSER III Use of Funds &/or RIPICS may be provided:

• by completing the survey for ongoing stakeholder feedback on Use of Funds and RIPICS linked here.  
• by speaking at the public comment portion of a school board meeting; the schedule for school board meetings can be found here; posted school board meeting agendas include instructions for speaking at a school board meeting and updates on the pandemic's impact in the district.  The YouTube stream of board meetings, including public comment portions and Covid-19 updates can be found here.  
• by participating in the School Health Advisory Council virtual meetings held through Microsoft Teams Live Event or a ZOOM meeting; to view the meeting and submit questions, please review the agendas and instructions posted prior to each meeting at this webpage.

Please note, language translation on any district webpage can be obtained by selecting the translate button on the top ribbon on the left-hand side of the webpage.  If you are a parent with a disability and require additional assistance in accessing ARP ESSER III information, please contact Donna Tate at 281.997.4949 or tated@pearlandisd.org so it can be provided in an accessible format.