The bank account of the Sedona-Oak Creek School District will soon see an increase of a little more than a half-million dollars.
Thanks to the federal stimulus Elementary Secondary School Relief Fund, the district will be receiving $506,704 in federal funding. Superintendent Dennis Dearden announced it during the Governing Board meeting Tuesday, March 2.
The parameters of how the money can be used are pretty broad, as long as it’s somehow COVID-19 related, he said. The plan now is to refurbish more than 100 Chromebooks as well as purchasing additional ones. They will also be looking at improving audio enhancements for the classrooms.
“There’s a lot of ways we can spend this but we want to be very strategic and use every dollar as wisely as we can,” he said. “It seems like a lot of money but it goes fast and can be gone in a heartbeat.”
The minimum amount each statewide district received was $150,000. But by comparison, Tucson Unified School District received $78 million.
The day following the meeting, Finance/Human Resources Director Stacy Saravo said the district was notified of the funding on Feb. 17.
“There is a grant application process to receive the allocation,” she said. “Once approved, the process is to draw down the funds as we use them. The allocation is based on our proportionate share of Title I-A funds received in Fiscal Year 2019-2020.”
Saravo said the district has until September 2023 to spend the funds.
Following the meeting, Dearden said the district is in the advantageous position of being ahead of the curve since it has remained open for students on campus whenever permitted to do so during the past year.
“Because of our agile and early response and preparation, we aren’t scrambling to come up with a plan a year into the pandemic,” he said. “Upon executive order to close last year, we were online teaching virtually with Google Classroom in just two days. We provided Chromebooks, hot spots, hot meals, and served our students and families differently, but with our maximum capacity during the COVID upheaval.”
Dearden went on to add, “We know that the enduring changes to education will require this ESSER funding, and more, to re-establish the high quality of education for all students with today’s far greater inclusion of technology and demand for access options. SOCSD will focus funding on student technology improvements and other student-focused service needs.”
In other matters, Dearden gave an update on the students who were told to stay home and quarantine following a student testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Feb. 26. The male student was on a school bus filled with fellow varsity boys and girls basketball players and the boys junior varsity team. In total, 40 students are in quarantine following contract tracing but are expected to return to school on Monday, March 8.
“That doesn’t mean all of them got it or any of them will get it, but that’s the type of thing you have to do in order to keep people safe,” Dearden said.
