By DAVID L. DYE
Herald Staff Writer Dec 22, 2020
Dec 22, 2020
WEST MIDDLESEX â While some school districts have chosen either to hold classes online or in person, officials at West Middlesex Area School District has chosen both.
The district has undertaken a one-to-one technology initiative students from kindergarten through 12th grade and Superintendent Raymond Omer said students are learning at home using their Chromebooks with every Wednesday designated an all-virtual day.
West Middlesex has invested in devices and systems that allow the district to hold virtual and in-person with different groups or even simultaneously.
At its December meeting, West Middlesex School Board accepted a $90,500 grant in federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to help offset costs associated with carrying out the health and safety plan. The CARES Act funds were administered by the Mercer County commissioners.
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Source: Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour
A group of House Republicans asked the United States Government Accountability Office (USGAO) to conduct an audit of the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economy Security (CARES) Act’s funding for education. Within the CARES Act, Congress legislated $13.3 billion to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund in order to assist school systems with reopening. Likewise, the Governors Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund gives individual governors $3 billion in “block grants” to distribute to meet the needs of students.
As of September 30, the GOP lawmakers point out, individual states have spent just 12 percent of the $13.3 billion ESSER fund and governors have spent 18 percent of the $3 Billion in aid GEER funds.
Political notebook
NIKI KELLY | The Journal Gazette
The Indiana Republican Party recently announced the members of its inaugural class of its Diversity Leadership Series – and it includes some northeast Indiana representation.
The series is a seminar and leadership training program that will provide the preparation and resources needed to increase the engagement of minority Republican leaders in Indiana.
“I m thrilled to welcome this impressive group of Hoosiers to our inaugural class,” said Kyle Hupfer, chairman of the Indiana Republican Party. “With their depth and breadth of experience, I know they will dive right into the program, as they re guided to exciting opportunities to make a difference. I ve repeatedly said as a party we re committed to building long-term, authentic relationships with historically underrepresented communities – and I can t wait to see the deep relationships formed through this program and beyond.”
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Monday afternoon, the bipartisan Senate group leading the latest
round of discussions on coronavirus relief legislation finally
released bill text in a last-ditch effort to attach it to an
omnibus spending package. As previously reported, the group decided
to release two different bills, deferring to Congressional
leadership on the final decision.
One bill contains the more controversial provisions providing
relief aid to state and local governments as well as those
temporarily shielding companies from legal action and liability
during the pandemic.
The other, named the
LINCOLN – All told, Lincoln Public Schools have spent roughly $1.2 million in unbudgeted funds responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
School business manager John McNamee broke down the school department’s pandemic spending during Monday evening’s School Committee meeting.
Lincoln schools received four separate grants to assist with safely reopening in the COVID environment.
The first source was the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act – money specifically allocated to elementary and secondary schools for a wide range of activities, including the prevention, preparation for and response to the coronavirus.
Gov. Gina Raimondo awarded Lincoln with $472,779 to help fill a gap in state aid to education. Essentially, McNamee said the state shorted Lincoln in education aid this year, but replaced the shortfall with CARES Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.