News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County School officials hope to provide a one-time stipend to all school employees as part of new COVID money.
The system will receive some $9.2 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds from the federal government.
Director of Schools Corby King said the system wants to pay teachers and staff for the extra work COVID has required over this school year.
“We’ve not been able to pay teachers for all of the extra work that we have been doing,” King said. “Our board recognizes that and our team recognizes that. So, we’re proposing a stipend for the work that the teachers have already completed. Both certified and non-certified staff because again, all of our staff has worked on this.”
The stipend would be $1,000 for every full-time employee and $500 for part timers. If approved the stipends would likely be distributed as a one-time check in May, King said.
In addition, the system has proposed more than $3 million in maintenance work including HVAC upgrades. King said those items will help the system get two to three years ahead in its long-term maintenance plan.
King said the federal government requires the ESSER funds be used for facilities or learning loss.
“Things that we would be seeking money from the county commission over the next three to five years to replace these components,” King said. “We’re able to use that money and we’re getting into years four and five of that plan in replacing and upgrading our systems and our technology with this money. So, it’s money that we’re not gonna have to go to the county commission and ask to replace these items.”
In addition to stipends and HVAC upgrades, money will be spent on curriculum adoption. King said the system wants to hold back some of the money until it gets more specific guidelines from the state on proposed summer learning loss camps. The school system might have expenses with transportation and meals with the camps, King said.
The school system received some $2.7 million in June through ESSER. That money went to purchase chromebooks, school misting equipment, and other items for this school year.
“The focus for that was, what is it going to take for us to be open in school, to be in school?” King said. “We spent that $2.7 million, a lot of it on technology, we don’t have those devices, they’re all on back order. But we have purchased or submitted our request for enough devices that we will eventually be one to one as a district when those devices do come in.”
The plan for ESSER2 funds is due in March.
