SBCSC: South Bend School Corp Seeks Additional Community Input On COVID Funds/referendum Spending

South Bend IN

13 August, 2021

6:19 PM

Description

Press release from the South Bend Community School Corporation: 08/13/2021 Community meetings give public an opportunity to find out how the corporation plans to spend COVID relief and referendum funds Community meetings give public an opportunity to find out how the corporation plans to spend COVID relief and referendum funds With the second wave of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding now available to the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC), the public is encouraged to attend one of three community meetings to provide continual input into how the funds will be used. The meetings also will provide updates on referendum funding projects that the corporation pledged to undertake. "The ESSER funding is designed to help school districts successfully reopen and sustain safe, in-person instruction and learning environments in our schools. It's vitally important that our stakeholders are aware of how we're allocating these resources, " says Kareemah Fowler, assistant superintendent of finance and business for the SBCSC. "These funds are needed to help address the impact COVID-19 on our students -- not just the academic impact, but also the educational inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. It is crucial that we address students' social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs." Preventing teacher layoffs, funding additional school social workers and nurses, and providing accelerated learning opportunities for students are examples of how ESSER funding can be used, Fowler says. Additionally, building enhancements are necessary for the sustained health and safety of students, teachers, and staff. Improved ventilation systems and implementing virus-spread prevention strategies are two such examples. The three community meetings are: Wednesday, August 18, 5:30 - 7 p.m. at the Western Branch Public Library, 611 Lombardy Drive, South Bend; Wednesday, August 25th, 5:30 - 7 p.m. at the Kroc Center, 900 W. Western Avenue, South Bend; Wednesday, September 1, 5:30 - 7 p.m. at the River Park Branch Public Library, 2022 E. Mishawaka Avenue, South Bend. Contact: Susan Guibert, Chief Communications Officer, [email protected]. This press release was produced by the South Bend Community School Corporation. The views expressed here are the author's own.