Van Buren Schools To Receive $2 Million In COVID Funds

The Van Buren County School System is expecting to receive about $2 million dollars in the third round of COVID relief funds.

Director of Schools Cheryl Cole said the initial thought is to use some of the funding to pay faculty salaries.

“We could supplant with this,” Cole said. “So, salaries that we would normal take out of GP (General Purpose Fund) we could take some of them out of the ESSER, and therefor, it could boost our fund balance.”

Cole said an overall plan of spending has not been discussed, but a portion of the money would likely be spent on capital projects. Under the funding stipulations, about $400,000 is required to address student learning loss. The money is good until 2023.

“Twenty percent has to go to learning loss,” Cole said. “So, we have to think about how to use that money. They still have capital projects in there, too.”

This is the system’s third round of funds called ESSER, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief. The second round of funding was approved for teacher bonuses and replacing doors, windows and a cooling tower at Spencer Elementary School. Two new playgrounds are also being installed along with other purchases.

Cole said most of these projects are in the bidding process.