Regular Open Meeting Brief – August 18, 2022
The entire meeting agenda can be viewed at: August 2022 BOE Meeting
Curriculum and Instruction (C & I) Overview
The Board heard presentations on new teacher orientation which was held August 9-11, and administrator professional development held in June.
Caring for Kids
The District has partnered with Caring for Kids since 2018. Their mission is to mobilize community organizations – churches, businesses, and civic groups – to serve collaboratively around neighborhood schools, helping them achieve the goal of equipping students to reach their highest potential. The Caring for Kids district liaison shared that 37 community partners (12 faith organizations, 16 businesses, 9 civic/nonprofit groups) have engaged with the District’s 9 schools to assist students and families. 183 projects were implemented to support principals’ goals, 4260 students were served directly.
ESSER II Funds
At the August 19, 2021 the Board authorized the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Finance to submit application to DESE for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) program before the August 23, 2021 deadline. The district received a total allocation of $10,941,981. In June of 2022 the Board approved a budget plan to draw the ESSER funds into three years (FY 22, 23, and 24) with the FY 22 draw being $3,597,460. The funds claimed so far from DESE have been used for general operations. The district will need to meet the learning loss provision of approximately $2,188,396 over the next three years.
Kelly Educational Services
In 2018, the Board approved contracting with Kelly Educational Services (KES) for obtaining substitutes for teachers/counselors and instructional paraprofessionals. The Board annually reviews KES data regarding absences and the number of substitutes found to fill those absences (fill rate). The 2021-22 fill rate was down from the previous year. Data showed January as the month with the greatest need for substitutes.