As school administrators look forward to the 2021-22 school year, they understand the need to support students who have been impacted by more than a year of COVID-19 restrictions and shutdowns.
On Monday, the Bradford Area School District board of education met in a Zoom work session to discuss how the ESSER II Funding grant of $5,193,552 awarded to the district will be used in programs and upgrades.
The federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund has been awarded to school districts and charter schools to address the impact of COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools. The ESSER II funds, which must be used by 2023, may be used for the support of students in a variety of areas.
Prior to the meeting, Superintendent Katharine Pude said the first round of ESSER I funds, in the amount of $957,000, was used by the district for personal protection equipment for students, staff and schools, as well as for cleaning campuses.
Pude said part of the strategic plan for ESSER II funds included discussions with teachers on what they believed the top priorities were for schools to help get students back on track.
“We are deeply concerned with mental health needs” for students who have been impacted by the pandemic, Pude admitted.
She noted the district is assured of receiving the funding, but must submit a grant defining how the funds will be used. The ESSER III funds, in the amount of $9,858,500, will be received by the district in the future. She said $2 million of that will be set aside to address learning loss.
“Here’s what we know — we know that there are mental health needs across the district as a result of COVID, not just in our district but in the United States it has increased dramatically,” Pude remarked. “And it’s not just in our student populations, but in our general population, and even with our staff and teachers. We’re deeply concerned about it.”
As a result of the learning loss experienced by students, the district will provide additional academic support. Pude said district students have been fortunate as the doors to the schools were open the majority of this year.
“But we do have a lot of kids who are in our cyber programs who we haven’t been able to reach,” she added. “We do know that regression comes with kids not being physically in school.”
In addition, she noted graduation rates have declined significantly over the past two years as a result of the pandemic. She said a number of these students were in the cyber program.
Several areas where the funds can be used by the district include student supports and for contractual personnel such as a PC field technician; reading specialist at School Street Elementary; a college and career coach at Bradford Area High School; school counselor at George G. Blaisdell Elementary; social worker intern; school psychologist intern; and a music teacher.
Instructional materials would include math books for the elementary campuses and secondary campuses; Spanish books for the high school; and English Language Arts materials for Fretz Middle School, among others.
Upgrades to the campuses would include collaboration rooms at School Street and Fretz; library furniture at Fretz and the high school; upgrades to an outdoor classroom at Fretz and School Street; composite outdoor tables; raised beds with greenhouses at the high school and School Street; and an outdoor pavilion at the high school.
Technology upgrades, which are expected to be sustainable for seven to 10 years, would include new laptops and cases; equipment upgrades; complete upgrades of all SMART labs; and SMART boards at all schools, among others.
Funds for social/emotional learning support will be used for the Leader in Me and PATHS leadership programs at the elementary schools; parent liaison and Bradford Promise programs; a facility dog and community engagement.
On a related note, Shane Oschman, school board president, said the district plans to provide upgrades in security at the two elementary campuses from previous funding sources. He said the two secondary campuses had security upgrades in the past.
