Maya McFadden file photo
Edgewood Principal Nicholas Perrone, making dream catchers with students as part of the ARPA-funded ECHO program.
New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) has met its first of two key deadlines for spending, and not having to give back, $123 million in one-time federal pandemic-relief funds.
That’s according to NHPS spokesperson Justin Harmon.
He said that the city’s public school district received a total of $123 million in grant funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.
School systems across the country, including NHPS, had to meet a deadline of Sept. 30 to contractually obligate all of that money. School districts then have to “liquidate,” or transfer those funds to their intended recipient, by Jan. 30, 2025.
Districts that don’t make those two deadlines risk having to give funds back to the federal government.
According to Harmon, NHPS cleared that first Sept. 30 deadline. “We spent it all,” he said about the $123 million in ARPA aid received by the district. (He did not clarify by publication time of this article as to whether or not that means the district has simply obligated all of those funds, as required by Sept. 30, or actually spent those dollars, per the January 2025 deadline.)
“The largest categories of expenditure included teaching materials (such as the new reading series); social and emotional instruction and supports; school-based projects; and facilities,” Harmon said.
He said the district is working to create a complete report detailing NHPS’ ARP ESSER (which stands for American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) spending and obligations in time for the next full Board of Education meeting, on Oct. 15.
As an example of how these Covid-relief funds impacted one school in the district, Edgewood School Principal Nick Perrone said in an interview on Tuesday that Edgewood received roughly $300,000 of that ARPA aid. Those funds were “super helpful,” particularly at a time when remote learning had such an impact on students.
Perrone recalled that when in-person learning returned, Edgewood’s School Planning and Management Team (SPMT) recognized the tough work it would take to help students reset.
The SPMT had three priorities as it considered how the school should use the $300,000 in ARPA aid:
1. Get kids back to school in person;
2. Provide engaging programs to remind the community of the humanity of school; and
3. Address students’ social and emotional needs.
Edgewood ultimately decided to use its funding bump to establish its ECHO program, focused on offering all students weekly outdoor enrichment programming hosted by educators and local artists. Now that the federal funds are running out, Edgewood must work with a “shoestring budget” to maintain the program, Perrone said.
The school also used its Covid-aid allocation to build out an indoor high ropes climbing course for 3rd through 8th graders to use during Wednesday ECHO programming and for 5th through 8th graders during gym classes. Perrone said Edgewood now must figure out how to maintain the ropes course to continue building students’ confidence and teamwork skills, and to introduce them to new opportunities.
These funds also helped Edgewood establish stress reduction and counseling services through a partnership with Miss Kendra Programs. This year Edgewood could no longer afford to maintain the partnership, and therefore the school now has to find a new way to satisfy the “overwhelming demand” for such services, Perrone said. One temporary solution was having the school host a college student as a social work intern.
“To think and problem solve creatively, we need the people to do that work,” Perrone said. Otherwise the work falls on the school staff to find the time to write grants, negotiate, and do the planning and management legwork to secure additional support.
Perrone concluded that NHPS is in need of a long-term supply of funding for enrichment programming and to maintain its school buildings. Edgewood’s issues — like cafeteria mold, drainage issues, and roof repairs — can only be addressed through a larger investment in facilities maintenance.
Brian Slattery Photo
At NHA's 2023 production of Paradise Blue.
New Haven Academy (NHA) was awarded $240,000 through Oct. 1, NHA principal Greg Baldwin told the Independent Thursday.
“Our community wanted to prioritize funding ways for students to re-connect with each other and re-engage after closure and remote learning,” Baldwin said.
In 2021, NHA’s SPMT surveyed students, staff, and parents / guardians and decided the funds would be used to expand after-school programing, a drama program, field trips, and college-course offering.
For after-school programing, NHA introduced programs like Model United Nations and a Genders & Sexualities Alliance, as well as clubs focused on the outdoors, Hispanic heritage, the arts, soccer, chess, and more. Since its start, the school’s drama program has put on five productions.
“With some advance planning, because we knew when the grant would end, we have been able to maintain some of these programs,” Baldwin said.
ARPA funds supported making available three Southern Connecticut State University classes exclusively for NHA students, and hiring a part-time educator to teach American Sign Language (ASL) and run a community service club.
The school also secured equipment like Chromebooks and carts, classroom and library furniture, and and cafeteria chairs.
This school year NHA is maintaining its ASL teacher and its after-school drama program, and it is continuing to support its popular student clubs.