SHEPHERDSVILLE – Through the COVID pandemic, every agency in the country has been faced with challenges and the Bullitt County Public School System is no different.
Over the course of the past three years, the school system has been awarded over $24 million in funding from various sources.
While much of the funding will go through the next fiscal year, the district is already looking to the future.
In a presentation recently by assistant finance officer Stephanie Bonnett, board members heard that it was possible that 58 positions could be lost when the funding goes away.
However, superintendent Dr. Jesse Bacon said that this would be a worst-case scenario and there is a good possibility that the lost positions will not be nearly that high.
Some of the positions added through the federal funding, the district allowed each elementary school to add a position. Two computer maintenance positions were added as the district increased its Chromebook services to every student. A dozen instructors are part of the Bullitt Viritual Academy. And the district developed 23 guest teacher positions, which allows a “permanent” substitute instructor at each school.
Bacon said the district currently has vacancies. He is working to streamline the viritual academy.
Bonnett said there might be a way schools can use Title I funds for some of the positions.
When the positions were posted, Bonnett said all of the applicants were aware it was a one-year opportunity.
A breakdown of the funding sources:
GEER (Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund)
A total of $261, 273 was awarded in May 2020 and it was fully spent by the June 2022 deadline.
Bonnett said these funds were used to purchase educational technology, such as mobile hotspots, laptops and removing learning software. Districts were shut down to in-person learning for over a year.
Funds were also used for the food services operations, which continued. Lunches were delivered to various spots throughout the shutdown. Supplies such as coolers, hot/cold bags and brown bags were purchased with the GEER funds.
ESSER I (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund)
The district received $1,532,096 in May 2020 with a deadline of June 2022 to spend those funds. Bonnett said those funds have been spent.
These funds were the first major funding to be received for the COVID pandemic.
Money was spent on securing a three-year lease for Chromebooks for grades 3-5. Previously, Chromebooks were made available for middle and high school students.
The district spent money on a temporary contract nurse who was employed to help with COVID-related services.
There was money spent for sanitation and disinfectant supplies and equipment for all of the school facilities.
The district also hired temporary bus monitors and custodial staff for the 2020-21 school year.
Personal protection equipment, such as desk dividers and shields, was purchased.
An additional special education teacher was retained for the virtual learning academy for the 2020-21 year.
And 24 extra duty positions were approved for the same school year.
ESSER II (Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act)
The district received $6,891,060 in this phase of relief funding.
The funds, received in January 2021, must be spent by this June.
Bonnett said that these funds are almost fully spent and that all the money has been allocated.
The district awarded all employees a one-time fringe benefit with these funds in September 2021.
In the summer of 2021, the district hosted learning programs to help students catch up for lost time when they weren’t in-person in the classrooms. The money paid for instructors, transportation for students and lunch.
The 24 extra duty positions were funded for the 2021-22 school year through this batch of money.
Temporary custodial help was retained to keep schools safe during the 2021-22 academic year.
Base radio units were purchased for buses to provide better communications.
The Chromebook leases were paid for the 2021-22 school year.
And bipolar ionization equipment was purchased for all schools to provide air purification.
ESSER State Set-Aside
Because the district spent at least 20 percent of its ESSER II funds on direct services for students, it was eligible for matching funds from the state.
Awarded in January 2021, the district has nearly spent the funds with a deadline of June 2023.
Chromebook leases were paid for the current school year and the bipolar ionization equipment was covered.
Each school was also allocated funds for additional instructional resources for things such as curriculum and software.
ESSER III (American Rescue Plan)
The final stage of COVID funding brought $14,856,061 to the district.
Awarded in March 2021, Bonnett said all the funds have been allocated well in advance of the June 30, 2024, deadline.
One part of the funding has been allocated for learning loss initiatives.
A total of $5.6 million will be spent on items such as:
*Summer Learning Loss Camps for 2022 and 2023 – this will include all compensatory special education, transportation and snacks.
*Additional literacy support for grades 1 and 2 in the 2021-22 year was paid for
*Bullitt Literacy grants were available for all elementary schools in the current school year and will also be available for 2023-24
*ESSER Learning Forward funds were given to each school for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years
The other part of the ESSER III funding was appropriated for initiatives not specific to learning loss. This group of funding was $9.2 million.
Some of the approved projects included:
*New roofs for North Bullitt High, Bullitt Central High and Hebron Middle
*Put water bottle fillers at fountains for all high schools
*Cleaning and disinfection supplies and equipment for all schools
*PA communications systems for Bullitt East High and Hebron Middle
*Substitute nurse for COVID-related issues for the past and current school years
*Guest Teachers (permanent subs) provided for the past two years and will be extended to the 2023-24 school year
*Additional extended days for the nurse coordinator for the past two years and for the upcoming academic year
*Elementary Access 24 extra duty positions for 2022-23 and extended to 2023-24
*Computer maintenance technicians for the past two years and will be extended to 2023-24
*Additional stipend for all counselors LCSWs for 2021-23 and extended to the following year
*Funding for the Bullitt County Virtual Learning Academy for this year and for the 2023-24 academic year
*Funds allocated to each school for professional learning
Bacon told board members that the district leadership is already closely looking at what happens after 2023-24.
The higher cost of everything does not help the situation. The goal will be to look at ways to streamline the budget so that those 58 positions are not totally lost, said Bacon.