In the July Union County Board of Education Meeting, Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Carter explained that trying to develop a plan for the use of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds was extremely challenging due to the changes in the requirements that seem to occur almost daily.
The most recent update included monetary incentives for addressing learning loss during COVID-19. For instance, if the school system used 20 percent of ESSER 3.0 to address learning loss, then the State would send Union County Public Schools an additional $20,000 to “reward the effort to recapture the learning” impacted by the pandemic.
But if Union County used at least 50 percent of the ESSER 3.0 to address learning, then the State would offer other opportunities to use state money for educational training, as well as educational programs. So Carter informed the board that the current plan would use about 63 percent of the ESSER 3.0 to address learning loss and approximately 33 percent for capital projects.
The new plan also allows the system to use state money for the training of tutors as well as the intervention programs.
All in all, the plan would save some $4.6M that could be used toward building a middle school.
Another nearly $1.4M would be saved in the 141 General Purpose School Fund to make a total of $6M that could be added to the $5M already earmarked to be used toward the new middle school project.
ESSER 3.0 would provide student tutoring, teacher training, an additional counselor, interventionists, a behavior specialist, a data clerk, summer school, transportation for summer school, social workers, STEM supplies, additional science and social studies books, distance learning, a curriculum coach, and a book bus (a mobile library) as well as substitute and teacher stipends.
After Carter explained these benefits, the board approved the changes to enable the ESSER 3.0 plan to be developed under the new guidelines.
Carter also mentioned that the public survey results were being compiled, but the early information showed that learning loss, especially online learning, needed to be addressed.
However, the board did not react so favorably to the CINTAS contract for $2,053 and postponed it until several questions could be answered. The contract to cover maintenance uniforms lacked the time frame for per item costs and a breakdown of just what was being provided each week for maintenance.
Melissa Brown, the new finance director, assured the board that she would gather the answers to all of their concerns as soon as possible and report her findings no later than the next board meeting.
The board approved a couple of capital projects. A replacement deck will be built on the classroom portable behind the Alternate Learning Center. Also, the partial walls in central office will be extended to the ceiling and the HVAC rerouted to provide climate control in the offices.
Lastly, the board granted tenure for experience and exemplary achievement to the following teachers on the recommendation of Carter: Lindsay Wagganer, Jennifer Smith, Stephany Davis, Terri Goodin, Sarah Roach, Hannah Karras, Melissa Horning, Tim Jinkins, Hayley Sexton, and Andrew Tramell.
The next school board meeting will be on Thursday, August 12, at Union County High School with the workshop at 6 p.m. and the board meeting to follow.