The East Greenbush Central School District continued discussions of initiatives to impact student success through use of federal COVID-19 relief funds at a special Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening. The meeting was live streamed to the public and served as a follow-up to two previous public meetings on June 9 and June 22 in which proposals were reviewed and discussed.

School administrators are creating plans to use $3,945,709 from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and $3,092,281 from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to support students and families affected by the pandemic. To access these funds, the district must post written plans for the use of this aid.

The proposed initiatives include investment in academic services, after school programs, mental health services, facility enhancements and technology purchases. 

The district will continue to consider feedback from the Board of Education, community members and all interested stakeholder groups as plans continue to be developed and throughout the implementation process.

Proposed Items for Use of COVID-19 Relief Funds

• Academic Achievement and Learning Gaps 
  • Hire certified early intervention teachers to provide additional individual and small group instruction to students in the early elementary grades not yet meeting grade level expectations based on universal screening data and progress monitor results.
  • Hire additional teaching assistants to support the transition back to school and assist with learning gaps.
  • Hire Elementary AIS Teachers and Middle School AIS Teachers to help students read and perform mathematics at grade level.  
  • Increase Social Studies staffing at Columbia High School to support student success on the Global 10 Regents exam.
  • Increase staffing to extend Learning Resource Center hours at Columbia High School for all core content areas.
  • Comprehensive after school tutoring programs at Columbia High School and Goff Middle School four days per week.
  • Purchase of Renaissance STAR screening tool to identify student learning gaps in Math & ELA.
  • Provide Jump 6 alternative instruction program to help students transition successfully to middle school. The program would use differentiated instruction and a smaller learning environment of social emotional and academic support.
  • Extend the Center for Therapeutic Academic Excellence Program (CTAEP) to Grade 8 to provide a small school-within-a-school concept for students with school-related anxiety.
  • Develop student training programs for Maintenance and Food Service Departments.
• Student and Family Engagement and Support 
  • Explore Project Adventure learning activities within Physical Education curriculum and through after school activities and field trip experiences. 
  • Develop National Archery in Schools (NASP) program in grades 6-12 and trap and skeet programs in grades 9-12.
  • Develop Trap Shooting Clay Target Team 
  • Develop and implement an Air Force JROTC Program to provide leadership training and aerospace science program for high school students.
  • Provide extended day (before/after school) and extended year programming (summer) for all interested students.
  • Hire additional school social worker to serve as a Student & Family Engagement Specialist to work with students and families to remove barriers to school attendance. 
  • Assist community-based organizations with providing families with affordable before and after school child care options.
  • Increase coordination to the Food for Families Program to ensure community needs are identified and increased accessibility for families.
  • Expand school-sponsored social activities for students including fun events and guest speakers such as authors, careers, inspirational and motivational themes.
• Mental Health and Social Emotional Learning 
  • Collaborate with Rensselaer County to create a mental health satellite clinic located at Howard L. Goff Middle School to provide counseling services to students and families, including teleservices.
  • Purchase universal screening tools for social emotional evaluation.
  • Fund Equine Program for high school students. 
  • Establish RTI Coordinator position to assist in identifying Tier I & II academic and mental health needs and provide data-based program evaluation tools to administrators, Board of Education and community.
  • Explore school and community violence prevention training and initiatives.
• Equity of Access to Technology 
  • Invest in the Chromebooks 1:1 replacement program.
  • Join the Viewsonic lease program to obtain 150 units per year over the next five years.
  • Enhance technology for live streaming capability and event support.
  • Develop student-run Help Desk.
• Safe and Healthy Learning Environments 
  • Upgrade heating and ventilation systems within schools to expand fresh air, improve climate control and increase air filtering capacity in all schools.
  • Enhance nursing services for students.
  • Explore fitness and nutrition programs for students, staff and community to provide emotional, physical and social wellness.
  • Purchase Heartland Mosaic Point of Sale system to provide online submissions for free and reduced price meal applications.
  • Purchase of new cafeteria furniture for the five elementary buildings to maintain social distancing where required.
  • Purchase student ID ridership system for all school buses which would show when a child boards/exits the bus.
• Sustaining Our Success   
  • Ensure new initiatives include an evaluation component and reporting of results to the Board of Education and community.
  • Coordinate federal, state and local funding sources to ensure available revenues to sustain successful programs in future years .