Letter detailing the final ruling the Departments of Education and school districts should follow in implementing ESSER.

See the attached letter.

ACSI and its member schools in Pennsylvania are communication with local school districts regarding PA transportation for private schools. This communication is to request each district's plan to provide transportation for students who reside in the districts who are attending private school.

The full letter has been attached below:

Parents were faced school closures this spring and uncertainty ahead this fall.  Consequently, their kids' education has been impacted significantly. Parents are looking for help to get their children back on track.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering legislation that would empower eligible families to meet the challenges that lay ahead by providing them with $1,000 per child, which can be used for approved education expenses. 

The Intermediate Unit 1 conducted a online meeting June 16th to introduce and assist non-public schools as they apply for the COVID-19 Health and Safety Grant. You will find attachments outlining the application process, a template and a school reopening planning matrix below.

If you are interested in being included in the grant application, please submit your letter of support no later than Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

Please find below the link to the CDC website containing cleaning guidelines when reopening:

Pennsylvania received $471 million in funding from Washington. However, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) created its own set of rules to distribute that money in a manner that blatantly ignores federal guidance. Gov. Wolf and the PA Department of Education are looking to take most of the funding that Congress wants distributed equitably to ALL students. The end result significantly lowers the amount of money to be passed onto Christian schools and non-public school students.

Congress set aside approximately $3 billion of the $30.75 billion allotted to the Education Stabilization Fund through the CARES Act for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEERF).  The Department will award these grants ­to States (governor’s offices) based on a formula stipulated in the legislation. (1) 60% on the basis of the State’s relative population of individuals aged 5 through 24. (2) 40% on the basis of the State’s relative number of children counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

This meeting covered the Equitable Service Ombudsman as required under ESEA sections 1117 (a)(3)(B) and 8501 (a)(3)(B), reviewed statewide consultation meetings, including the goal for each consultation, the transferability of authority and equitable participation, guidance and upcoming trainings.

Please read the following attachment for more information regarding the NP Quarterly meeting.

Congress Passes COVID-19 Coronavirus Response Act.
 
On March 18, the Senate passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  

This is designed to address the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on American families.  It introduces a federal mandated paid sick leave and temporarily expands the Family and Medical Leave Act.  For ACSI Christian schools this does apply; there is no exemption for private employers or nonprofits.  This will go into effect on April 2 and expires December 31, 2020.  It has two provisions that impact our Christian Schools.  

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that the Department of Education is taking several concrete actions to protect religious liberty and ensure the Department is acting in accordance with the First Amendment.