Education COVID-19 Relief Funding

The funding is here. Where do you start?

President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a historic $1.9 trillion stimulus package that will provide a massive infusion of funds for schools across the U.S., including approximately $123 billion for K-12 schools and $40 billion for higher education. Of this, nearly $12 billion has been allocated for education in New York State.

According to the details released on March 17, NYS education fund allocations include:

$9 Billion – K-12 Schools – flexible funds to support school districts in reopening safely for in-person instruction and addressing the many needs that students are facing due to the pandemic.
$2.6 Billion – Colleges and Universities – half of which must be allocated by institutions to students in the form of financial aid to address hardships caused by COVID-19. The remaining portion of the funds can be used on reopening costs, revenue losses, classroom retrofits, PPE and other expenses.
$257 Million – Private K-12 schools – funds will be administered by the state educational agency to provide public health and related assistance and services to private K-12 schools.

Review the latest funding resources below:

U.S. Department of Education Fact Sheet - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP ESSER)
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators - Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) Comparison Chart
American Council on Education - HEERF Funds by Higher Education Institution (searchable)
U.S. Senator Schumer's Office - NYS K-12 School Funding by District

Leveraging Best Practices for an Effective, Customized Approach

We know that creating safer learning environments for the long term requires an approach that considers both the design of the physical learning space and the building mechanicals, with air quality and HVAC systems being a primary focus.

Over the last year, our design and engineering team members have partnered with district and school administrators, higher education leaders and facilities managers to put in place meaningful and effective plans, often starting with a comprehensive building health assessment.

We've leveraged expertise from our Science, Technology and Industry practice to apply best practices from the laboratory and cleanroom setting in everyday design, and have benefitted from extensive knowledge of our mechanical, electrical and energy experts who have closely studied hazard control protocol established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to implement strategies for mitigating airborne infections through addressing HVAC and mechanical systems.

Every district and university is at a different place in their planning and requires an approach customized to their building and campus design.

Contact Jim Hickey, AIA, Education Practice Leader, to learn more about how Bergmann's education team can support you.

Learn more about our approach to creating healthy environments.