District to Unveil Proposed Plans for Federal Funding

Programs funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) monies to be discussed

Throughout the country, school districts are receiving an infusion of federal stimulus funds for education. The Warwick Valley Central School District will receive more than $6.2 million in federal allocations.

The District will receive more than $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and $3.7 million in Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) funding.

The District intends to prioritize spending on non-recurring expenses in the following areas:

• Safely returning students to in-person instruction;
• Maximizing in-person instruction time;
• Operating schools and meeting the needs of students;
• Purchasing educational technology;
• Addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, including the impacts of interrupted instruction and learning loss;
• Implementing evidence-based strategies to meet students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs;
• Offering evidence-based summer school, afterschool, and other extended learning and enrichment programs; and
• Supporting early childhood education.

District administrators read through the guidance and met with the District Facilities Committee and the District engineer to develop a plan, which can be viewed here. The community will be asked to provide feedback. Questions and comments can be sent to federalgrants@wvcsd.org. On Thursday, at the Board of Education meeting, District administrators will present their plan to utilize the funds.

Air Quality and Learning Loss are the priority.

As the District reviewed the guidance, it became clear that air quality and learning loss needed to be the focus. One quote from the New York state guidance stated, “Indoor air quality can be improved by increasing outdoor air delivery to the building (ventilation) and removing particulates/viral particles from the air (air filtration) to the greatest extent possible.”

“These federal funding allocations are important for our students who need more opportunities to learn and grow in settings such as our Summer Academy,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Leach. “The funding will also give the District the opportunity to address other needs, such as maintaining proper ventilation and good indoor air quality, more outside classrooms, and staffing, among other expenses.”

The ARPA allocation will be used from July 1, 2021, to September 30, 2023, to fund:

• Summer Academy July 12^th to August 6^th (2021, 2022, 2023). The program for students in grades K to 8 will run daily from 9 a.m. to noon. A cold breakfast will be provided and transportation will be offered.
• The District will also offer after-school programs, clubs, enrichment activities, and extended learning during the school year. Examples of expanded opportunities include:
  • STEAM Activities
  • Reading, Writing, and Math Recovery
  • Wellness / Fitness
  • Art
  • Music
  • Field Trips
  • Academic Events

Just over $1 million will be spent addressing learning loss, including the Summer Academy and the after-school programs, and $1.5 million for unit ventilators in 20 classrooms, and other various rooms in the high school.

The CRRSA allocation will be used from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, to fund:

• Rooftop units and air handling units for the high school cafeteria.
• 200 ultraviolet light air cleaners for unit ventilators districtwide.
• The creation of six outside classrooms (High School 2, Middle School 2, Park Avenue Elementary School 1, and Sanfordville Elementary School 1) with many modern amenities. 
• 880 Chromebooks.
• 600 desks and chairs.
• Additional costs associated with running the District’s new pre-kindergarten program that will not be covered by state funds allocated to nine districts in the Mid-Hudson area.
• Costs associated with teachers hired to provide reduced class sizes.

Federal Grant Documents

GEER 2

GEER 2 Budget Narrative

GEER 2 FS-10 Document

ESSER 2

ESSER 2 Narrative

ESSER 2 FS-10 Document

ARP ESSER 3

ESSER 3 Budget_Narrative

ARP ESSER 3 FS-10 Document

ARP LEARNING LOSS

ARP Learning Loss Narrative

ARP Learning Loss FS-10 Document

ARP SUMMER LEARNING

ARP Summer Learning Narrative

ARP Summer Learning FS-10 Document

ARP AFTER SCHOOL

ARP After School Narrative

ARP After School FS-10 Document