North Haven Public Schools’ (NHPS) successfully applied for the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fun II (ESSER II) grant, which is part of the COVID-19 CARES Act. NHPS will receive $947,509 to be used through September 2023 with the allocation based on Title I funding.

At the February Board of Education (BOE) meeting, Superintendent of Schools Patrick Stirk and Assistant Superintendent and Director of Curriculum & Instruction Melinda McKenna outlined the plan for using the funds. The plan focuses on four priorities, academic support for students’ loss and recovery from any disruptions due to COVID-19; engaging with families to support academic recovery; school and safety standards such as behavioral health, mental health, and cleaning support and PPE; and supporting remote learning and staff development.

“We are entitled to the money based on Title I funding, but we had to apply to make sure we are using it for the areas the grant applies to,” said Stirk. “The state was great in broadening its guidelines so that different services and programs are accepted.”

Activities that were newly eligible to be included for use of grant monies included the administration of assessments, communication with families, tracking student attendance and academic progress, and repairs and improvements to reduce the risk of virus transmission, including projects to improve air quality.

NHPS is planning for nearly $250,000 in additional expenses, which the ESSER II funds will help offset. These expenses include $135,000 for five days of deep cleaning at all school buildings, $100,000 in technology for Chromebooks and software, and $10,000 in additional support for English language learners.

The funds from the ESSER II grant will begin to benefit students as early as April with extended day tutoring and intervention becoming available to students. In the summer months, NHPS will offer “robust” K-12 summer programming and there will also be a review of the curriculum in order to adjust and prioritize the standards.

In the new school year, there will be the redeployment of staff to focus on instructional support as well as the continuation of the extended-day tutoring and intervention.

Under Priority 1, the focus will be on students who have been negatively affected by the pandemic, including those who saw decreased progress or were disengaged, those with disabilities, English learners, and those with barriers to remote learning. NHPS will offer additional classroom supports, small-group tutoring programs, extended day programs, and expanded access to summer school.

The focus of Priority 2 will be direct engagement with families and the community through various organizations with “initiatives that engage school, family, and community connections to support academic endeavors,” according to Stirk’s presentation.

Priority 3 focuses on the wellbeing of the whole student with social and emotional support and emphasis on public safety measures. There will be additional behavioral and mental health services offered in-person and remotely as well as resources dedicated to PPE, cleaning supplies, and items needed for the safety of students and staff.

NHPS will continue to work to close the “digital divide” under Priority 4 by continuing to maintain and upgrade access to technology and connectivity, providing technical assistance and training for families, and increasing professional development for the staff.

“We are looking to provide intervention through the end of year, in summer programs, into the next school year, and beyond,” said Stirk. “We’ve been in and out since the shutdown last year and it behooves us to get students in for review of some of the topics and standards we may have needed to abbreviate because of this pandemic.”