The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Haxtun School District has received more than $280,000 in COVID-19 relief funds over the past six months and during the most recent Board of Education meeting, District Bookkeeper Lynda Firme gave board members a breakdown of how those funds have been spent. All CARES and ESSER dollars must be spent by Dec. 31.

The CARES Act aids state and local government entities navigating through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to CARES Act funds, the Haxtun School District received additional money from ESSER, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. To date, Haxtun Schools received $261,597 in CARES Act money and an additional $25,634 from ESSER for a total of $287,231. These funds, Firme said, have certain parameters around how and where they can be used which does not include salaries for administration or contract, certified teachers.

With first quarter funds, the District used relief money for paraprofessionals and bus drivers who were impacted when schools shut down early in the pandemic. Additional funds purchased Go Guardian, a software used by teachers to track real-time activity on student chromebooks, and additional funds were spent on digital learning, chromebooks and laptops, library books, hot spots and curriculum.

In the second quarter, the District spent funds on specific cleaning supplies, masks and gloves, sanitizers, thermometers and Chromebook cleaner. In order to help facilitate distance learning in the event it is needed, Haxtun Schools was also able to purchase additional curriculum for high school language arts, phycology, junior high math and science and sixth grade language arts. Firme said that as long as the new curriculum included distance learning options, the purchase qualifies for CARES Act and ESSER funding purchases.

The District also bought additional chromebooks and iPads allowing for each student in kindergarten through 12th grade a device. Money has also been used for interactive screens for teachers and other distance learning support. Total, the District has spent $275,484 in COVID-19 relief funds.

"Other districts have been scrambling to get equipment for their students," Firme said. "Well, we got ahead of that."

For a complete breakdown of COVID-19 relief fund expenses, see graphic attached to this article.

After the COVID-19 funding focus topic, board members heard reports from administration, including high school and elementary principals Alan Nall and Becky Heinz. Nall presented graphics with information related to online learning, including students who opted for at-home learning this fall and high school students who are taking college classes online.

Nall said that CDLS, Colorado Digital Learning Solutions and the provider for remote learning students, has seen enrollment skyrocket this fall but that with the addition of new staff members, have been able to manage the influx.

On the Haxtun campus, he added, Barb Gorman helps manage remote students and on-campus students who are taking concurrent enrollment classes or classes through CDLS.

Current high school enrollment, Nall said, is 89.

During her report, Heinz said preschool through eighth grade enrollment is currently 204 with 18 of those students on remote learning. That 204 number, she said, is down 20 from the previous year.

Heinz also updated board members on recent news that the United States Department of Agriculture will continue the summer feeding wavier through Dec. 31, meaning that children ages one to 18 can eat free school breakfast and lunch. The District has offered the free meals to the three daycares in town and anyone else who qualifies can also take advantage.

Heinz said last year breakfast was reimbursed at $1.84 per meal and with the wavier it is now $2.37. Lunch last year was $3.48 per meal and is now $4.15 with the waiver. For more information on how to access the free lunch and breakfast options at school, call the elementary office at (970) 774-6161.

With little action items on the agenda, board members approved adding Lance Chapdelaine and Jeff Durbin to the substitute teaching list and discussed a charge for the accountability committee. The committee, which meets monthly during the school year, is typically tasked with a charge from the Board. Several items were discussed and plans are to act on the matter at next month's meeting. Some items discussed include school/community communication and assistance with a recently received Perkins grant.

Before adjourning the meeting, board members reviewed committee assignments for the year.