April 2021 Board of Education budget update

Bill Bell: 
where we stand on resources from both state and federal perspective
House Ways and Means released a week tomorrow
"on balance, it's strong continued investment in K-12 education"
HW&M "continue the Governor's recommendation" to implement SOA
"took a little bit of a forward funding approach"
Governor was 1/7th or 14%
HW&M is 1/6 or 17% implementation
That resulted in an increase of about $22M
also recommends $40M as an enrollment and transportation cost reserve account
calls upon DESE to measure each district enrollment of prior October and those most materially impacted
also a transportation mention
will call "upon us to measure the impact and then award payments after we see what it is"
increase of about $23M in circuit breaker in including transportation
"as well as a $15M summer grant" though by the time this gets passed, we'll be into the fall
"pretty strong budget for K-12 education"

federal update: 
significant investment from federal government in K-12 education
had $215M in ESSER I and $815M in ESSER II 
latest is $1.8B in ESSER III
in process of finalizing allocations for final one now
looking to make award announcements by the end of the month, access to funding by July 1
still over $100M of ESSER I available; encouraging districts to spend FIFO (first in first out) method
little over 100 districts have applied for ESSER II
districts "I think smartly" are stepping back, trying to plan funding with their municipalities
$190M in reservations for the Commissioner in ESSER III, with a number of set-asides

December budget had emergency assistance for non-public schools; $24M in grants for non-public schools
will be another round of this from ARP, another $24M, haven't gotten final guidance from federal government on

Moriarty: take concern over summer programs funding not happening til fall seriously
Bell: even if it is signed on time, by the time allocations are worked out, will be into late summer
"that said, there's a ton of work going on right now for summer"

West: "with all of this additional federal funding in the system...opportunity for DESE" to help "districts make good decisions with those funds"

Lombos: know Commissioner committed to dealing with inequities in system through these funds