Rescue Union School District

The COVID relief package that the California legislature approved to support public schools and that Governor Newsom signed on March 5, included $2 billion for In-Person Instruction (IPI) Grants and $4.6 billion for Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Grants. Per CDE, to be eligible for ELO Grant funding, “LEAs must implement a learning recovery program, that at a minimum, provides supplemental instruction, support for social and emotional well-being, and...meals and snacks to specified student groups...who have faced adverse learning and social-emotional circumstances.” These grants can be used to support “extending instructional learning time, accelerating progress to close learning gaps, integrated pupil supports, community learning hubs, supports for credit deficient pupils, additional academic services, and training for school staff.”

In order to receive their ELO Grant funding allocation, the governing board of a school district must approve an ELO Grant Plan at a public meeting on or before June 1, 2021. In a year in which  many English learners (ELs) have faced significant learning loss, it is critical that these funds are used strategically to close gaps as effectively as possible. Therefore, to meet the needs of ELs in the implementation of their ELO Grant Plans, school districts should ensure that their expanded learning programs are not traditional, but programs that are engaging, enriching, and joyful. Such programs should incorporate the following components: