Open Source: How are Richland County schools spending their COVID relief money? | Open

One of our readers recently asked how that money is being spent locally. She didn’t specify a school district, so we sent a public records request to nine public school districts in Richland County. Eight responded in time for this story’s publication.

For the sake of brevity, we’re broke down each school’s expenditures thus far into broad categories. If you’re curious, we’ve also attached the reports we received for you to peruse at your leisure.

Keep in mind these numbers are current as of the end of March 2022. Allocations fluctuate slightly and schools will continue spending the funds until their allocations expire.

For the purposes of this article, we looked solely at ESSER funds. However, schools did receive smaller amounts to address more specific needs. These include monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, BroadbandOhio Connectivity Grant and IDEA American Rescue Plan funds, which must be used to support early intervention and special education services.

But first, here’s a primer on how COVID relief funding and school budgets work.

When people talk about COVID-19 relief funds for schools, they’re likely referring to ESSER funds.

Three rounds of federal funding were allocated for public local education agencies (LEAs). These funds are often referred to as ESSER I, ESSER II and ESSER III. ESSER stands for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.

Each round of ESSER dollars came with slightly different spending requirements and deadlines for spending the money. ESSER I funds must be spent by September, 2022. ESSER II must be spent by Sept. 30, 2023. ESSER III must be spent by Sept. 30, 2024.

The Ohio Department of Education is in charge of allocating and granting ESSER funds to Ohio LEAs.

ODE allocated a certain amount of ESSER money for each LEA, but schools don’t receive that money until after they prove it’s been spent in a way that meets the federal guidelines.

“It’s basically a reimbursement grant,” explained Lisa Thoman-Cha, assistant treasurer of the Madison Local School District. “We spend it first and then we ask for the money.”

Thoman-Cha said schools are required to appropriate, or budget, their ESSER funds into categories and regularly submit reports to the ODE to receive the money.

Like personal budgets, school budgets are divided into categories.

You may be setting aside money for rent, utilities, groceries and a car payment. Your local school treasurer is setting aside funds for salaries, retirement and benefits, purchased services, supplies and capital improvements. (That’s a very simplified, broad way to look at school finance, but it’s a starting point.)

Purchased services can include any service not performed by a school or district employee. (Service contracts for instructional equipment can also be included under purchased services.)

Some ways that schools used ESSER funding for purchased services included e-learning software, insurance and tech support for Chromebooks, technical support for e-learning software and training for teachers.

A great deal of ESSER funding in the supplies category went towards digital learning devices and instructional programs, cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment.

Capital outlay (sometimes called capital improvements) can refer to building construction or upgrades like new HVAC systems (a common COVID-era upgrade) as well as equipment.

The Ohio Department of Education allocated a total of $2,893,241 for the Clear Fork Valley Local School District. The district has spent $525,914.02 so far.

$8,026.91 on retirement and benefits

$173,253.25 on purchased services

Outgoing treasurer Bradd Stevens said so far ESSER funds have been used for personal protective equipment, electronic resource subscriptions for remote learning and Chromebooks. Funds were also used to stabilize the district workforce and avoid layoffs.

The district has budgeted ESSER funds to replace the HVAC system at Clear Fork High School, but the cost has gone up substantially due to inflation, lead times and equipment shortages.

“We are still moving forward but may have to scale back the project in order to fit it within our budget,” Stevens said in an email.

The district also plans to use ESSER funds to digitize records, purchase two replacement school buses and the addition of four social workers to school staff.

The Ohio Department of Education has allocated $3,166,445 in total ESSER funding for Lexington Local Schools. The district has spent $1,543,452.42 so far.

$62,045.14 in retirement and benefits

$398,646.04 in purchased services

These expenditures include $80,062.16 in psychological services and $435,863.23 in instructional supplies.

The Ohio Department of Education has allocated $978,192 in total ESSER funding for the Lucas Local School District. The district has spent $289,025.18 so far.

$12,731.90 in retirement/benefits

$126,332.16 in purchased services

The Ohio Department of Education has allocated $9,376,042 in total ESSER funding for the Madison Local School District. The district has spent $3,055,673.88 so far.

Here’s how it breaks down:

$188,128.81 on retirement and benefits

$116,447.65 on purchased services

$1,084,654.62 on supplies

$301,727.82 on capital outlay

$940,546.88 on “other”

Purchased services expenditures included repairing a chiller, virtual workshops from Wilson Language Training, travel reimbursements, a new sink in the high school art room to allow for social distancing and postage for the community newsletter.

Supply expenditures included laptops, Chromebooks, cleaning supplies and educational materials.

Capital outlay funding went towards a variety of purchases. Just a few include two new school buses, HVAC repairs and repairing a dishwasher at Mifflin Elementary.

Mansfield City Schools has been allocated $25,239,232 in total ESSER funding. So far, the district has spent $8.987,830.62.

$1,201,953.89 for salaries.

$262,443.91 for retirement and benefits

$1,672,103.89 for purchased services

$2,601,328.93 for supplies

$3,250,000 for capital outlay

Most of the ESSER money the district used for salaries, benefits and retirement went towards staffing needs that were created or exacerbated by the pandemic. These include permanent substitutes, tutors, Tyger Digital Academy staff, nurses, guidance counselors, social workers and the district homeless coordinator.

Capital outlay funding went towards HVAC and air quality work at Sherman Elementary and Springmill STEM Elementary.

Ontario Local Schools has been allocated $1,975,393 in total ESSER funding. So far, the district has spent $1,178,753.77. Here’s a breakdown:

$249,994.88 in retirement/benefits

$101,035.32 in capital outlay

The Ohio Department of Education has allocated $2,782,085 in total ESSER funding for Plymouth-Shiloh Local Schools. The district has spent $809,895.40 of ESSER funding so far.

$62,152.65 on retirement and benefits

$20,559.50 on purchased services

$306,722.57 on capital improvements

The district spent 147,081.80 of ESSER funds to purchase elementary textbooks.

Capital improvement funds went towards Chromebook, interactive TVS, remote learning technology, temperature scanners and improved cleaning equipment. 

The Ohio Department of Education has allocated $4,107,628 in total ESSER funding for Shelby City Schools. The district has spent $2,066,012.02 so far.

$1,144,888.29 in salaries

$3,820.26 in benefits/retirement

$484,261.27 in purchased services