[ad_1]
As Craven County schools begin budgeting for next school year, they may have to make some tough decisions as this is the last year that Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will be allocated to schools.
According to the CCS website, CCS has received a total of $56,275,787 in ESSER funding since March 2020. CCS spokeswoman Jennifer Wagner said all funds must be spent by Sept. 30.
The ESSER Fund was established in March 2020 as part of the Education Stabilization Fund of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to the CCS website, the State Education Authority (SEA) has awarded grants to local education agencies (LEAs) to address the impact of the coronavirus on elementary and middle schools across the country.
According to the CCS website, ESSER II funds were allocated in December 2020 when the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) was signed into law. Finally, in March 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law and allocated ESSER III funds.
CCS Superintendent Dr. Wendy Miller said the Superintendent’s Cabinet and Board of Education will review the successful implementation of the various projects and programs in which these funds were used.
“This is our last year of funding for ESSER, and we are in the middle of making some tough decisions because we could have done a lot of interesting things,” Miller said.
Miller explained that rather than hiring staff or taking on long-term projects with ESSER Funds, CCS sought to use these funds for one-time projects such as updating HVAC units or improving buildings. did.
“Some of the things we’ve done are really just been able to hire people to help us recover from COVID,” Miller said. “So we will have to look at the success of implementing these things and decide what to continue and whether we can make cuts in any areas.”
Miller said the presence of social workers in the school system is one of the initiatives that came out of the Essar Foundation.
Nationwide, student attendance became an issue as face-to-face classes resumed. School social workers assist CCS in enforcing mandatory attendance laws by conducting home visits to determine any barriers that may be keeping students from school.
“It was very successful, but they were all paid for with ESSER money, so that’s one of the challenges we face,” Miller said. “We have social workers in the county, but the need is so high due to COVID-19 that we are unable to respond. We’re trying to provide support.”
Miller added that CCS is considering all funding sources to support the social work profession, as this is one initiative the BOE seems enthusiastic about continuing.
Another post-COVID initiative is Craven Virtual Academy, a virtual school for grades 3-12. The BOE began discussions on how to provide this virtual option at a lower cost to families during a Feb. 13 work session.
“We want to offer that option to families, but it costs a lot of money to build a building and have 11 people on staff, so we’re looking at other ways to provide that service. ,” Miller said. .
Miller said CCS is currently conducting research on the efficiency and effectiveness of various programs funded by the school system.
A survey was sent to all CCS school principals in early February to identify programs that directly impact teaching and learning in their schools.
“We’re not going to cut funding, we just have to be more creative with the funding,” Miller said.
Of the millions of dollars in ESSER funds allocated to CCS, these funds can only be used to fund specific projects or programs.
CCS is authorized to use ESSER funds only for the following categories: addressing learning loss (including summer programs), repairing or improving facilities to minimize viral transmission, and air quality. improving COVID-19 preparedness and response, coordinating COVID-19 preparedness and response, addressing the unique needs of special populations, improving COVID-19 preparedness and response, disinfecting and cleaning supplies, long-term closure activities, Educational technology, summer learning.
“I’m really proud of Craven County’s recovery. We’re recovering faster than the state average and we’re actually ahead of pre-COVID times, especially in reading,” Miller said. We look forward to evaluating our results and moving further up the state rankings in the coming years. ”
Reporter Caramia Valentin can be reached at cvalentin@newbernsj.com.
[ad_2]
Source link
