After months of discussion, the board of education gathered via Zoom late last week to finalize the district’s fiscal year 2021-2022 operating budget. In addition, the board allocated the remaining federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds received last year as part of the CARES Act to help schools weather pandemic-related expenses and learning recovery.<\/p>\n
In the two weeks since the board last discussed the budget, school officials learned that an additional round of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds would flow to the district sometime this summer, freeing the board up to spend the $257,300 left unallocated in the operating budget.<\/p>\n
Superintendent Weiss said the school district expects to receive at least $5.5 million through the American Recovery Act, though the receipt timeline is uncertain at this point.<\/p>\n
With additional revenue expected, the board engaged in a spirited discussion about whether and how to spend the remaining operating funds.<\/p>\n
“We want the right resources to flow to the kids, so the kids have the best outcomes. I don’t think this is the time to leave money on the sidelines when we know there is a tremendous need for our kids. An extraordinary year requires extraordinary actions on our part,” said board member Brian Holst, who advocated for allocating the remaining operating budget.<\/p>\n
The board ultimately decided to spend the money to fund a web administrator for the district, beef up Tlingit language support at the middle schools, and provide a $108,000 fund for teachers to purchase supplemental materials to assist with student recovery next school year. An integration specialist role, suggested by Weiss, didn’t make the final cut.<\/p>\n