School Districts Can Utilize Federal ESSER Funds for Raptor Software to Enable a Safer Reopening

Districts can access funding for software to screen for COVID-19, monitor volunteers assisting with learning loss, and manage the response to student mental health issues

News provided by

Raptor Technologies

May 13, 2021, 09:00 ET

HOUSTON, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 65% of the nation's school districts have returned to traditional classroom learning, and nearly all U.S. schools are planning to reopen by Fall 2021. To help schools reopen and enhance their COVID-19 safety protocols, the federal government has made aid available through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds totaling over $190.5 billion for K-12 schools. This new funding covers critical areas like health screening for students and staff, addressing learning loss by hiring additional educators, funding crucial afterschool and enrichment programs, as well as implementing strategies to meet students' social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs stemming from the pandemic.

To help schools safely meet these challenges, Raptor is providing an e-Book and Checklist as a guide for schools to access the Raptor Back-to-School Safety Suite as an allowable expense under the ESSER funding measures, including those in CARES, CRRSA, and ARP. Additionally, Raptor will provide supporting documentation and examples to help district finance teams and grant writers successfully apply for ESSER funding in their state.

"With substantial federal funding available, now is the perfect time for schools to increase campus safety, reopen and stay open by investing in software, like our Raptor Back-to-School Safety Suite," said Gray Hall, CEO of Raptor Technologies. "Our suite of software and services supports students and staff as districts look to build safer and more comprehensive learning, screening, and tracking model for reopening their schools. It will be a critical component of their overall campus safety for years to come."

Health Screening
Included with Raptor's market-leading Visitor Management software, the Raptor Health Screening module empowers schools to screen students, staff, and visitors for COVID-19 exposure, producing contact tracing reports in real-time. Screenings can be performed either remotely or on-site. Additionally, the Visitor Management System can screen visiting contractors, vendors, volunteers, and tutors while tracking who has entered or exited the campus. This system provides added peace of mind to parents and school officials.

Learning Loss
"Educators know firsthand that the current prolonged period of remote learning has come at a cost, particularly in the form of learning loss," said Hall. "Districts will need volunteers, part-time staff, contractors, and additional teachers to help students catch up, resulting in more people on campus than ever before."

Schools need to keep students safe as they work back to grade level. Raptor Volunteer Management provides schools with user-friendly software that includes an integrated volunteer application, complete criminal background checks, volunteer hour tracking, event management, and robust reporting.

Response Management
This period of prolonged physical distancing, social isolation, and the absence of in-person learning could negatively impact student behavior as they return to the classroom. Raptor Alert provides a Team Assist feature that serves as a platform for schools to implement standard or customized safety protocols so that staff may deliver the proper level of response for any emotional, mental or physical student emergency. Additionally, districts can track and report on response types at both the school and district level to determine trends and mitigation strategies.

To learn more about how you can use ESSER funds to purchase the Raptor Back-to-School Safety Suite, download the e-Book HERE.

About Raptor Technologies®
Raptor is driven by its mission to protect every child, every school, every day. Founded in 2002, Raptor has partnered with over 35,000 K-12 U.S. schools to provide integrated visitor, volunteer, and emergency management software, fulfilling a broad range of school safety requirements. Raptor also offers contactless COVID-19 health screenings and contact tracing reports that are helping schools reopen and keep students, staff, and visitors safe. To learn more about Raptor Technologies, visit: www.raptortech.com

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SOURCE Raptor Technologies