Wapello School District considers using ESSER funds to keep staff on payroll, infrastructure
WAPELLO — A plan for using over $840,000 in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding is continuing to be developed.
Wapello School District Superintendent Mike Peterson told the school board Wednesday that he and the rest of the district’s administrative team have begun to identify some positions that could be transitioned into intervention positions.
Those transitioned positions could be funded through ESSER funds and possibly keep some employees on the payroll. Peterson reminded the board at its last meeting that an enrollment drop meant the district would need to cut $100,000 from the Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget.
He had said that would correspond to two positions.
Some board members have called for using the ESSER funds to hire additional interventionists to assist students falling behind because of COVID-19.
Other board members have suggested it could be difficult to spend nearly $1 million by the June 30, 2023, deadline and have proposed using the funds for qualified infrastructure projects, such as air conditioning or other air quality improvement efforts.
In a step in that direction, Peterson and building and grounds lead Rich Lugo were scheduled to meet Thursday with a representative from a company that has offered to conduct a facilities study at no cost.
If the district agrees to do a project outlined in the study, the company then would be hired as the project manager.
In other action, the board unanimously approved several new hires. These included Michael Horton, junior high boys basketball coach; Scott Kirby, junior high language arts, beginning second semester; and Kenny Marlette, junior high boys basketball. Marlette serves on the school board and he abstained from that vote.
The proposed hiring of athletic director Michelle Wade as the head softball coach was tabled for the second meeting in a row. A decision is expected to be made at the board’s January meeting.
The board also approved the routine review of several policies dealing with employee salary, insurance and other issues.
A $52,800 bid from Midwest Tennis and Track of Denison for track maintenance work was approved. Officials said the work will be completed next summer. It had been eight years since the last major track maintenance was done, officials said.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Wapello School District considers ESSER fund use at school board meeting
