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Date: 11/3/2021
EAST LONGMEADOW – After the pandemic placed school financing in flux, the conditions of the district’s budget were analyzed during the East Longmeadow School Committee meeting on Nov. 1.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Pamela Blair provided an overview of the FY22 budget. Thanks to the reinforcement of grant funding due to the pandemic, Blair shared that the district had several net positives in budget, including $308,883 for staff salary. “We have had grant funding that has been able to help with different items,” said Blair.
The committee also discussed the ongoing implementation of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER). Blair explained that ESSER 2 funds will be utilized throughout the district until Sept. 30, 2023, as well as applying for ESSER 3 funds that would last until 2024. “They are asking school districts to think about these funds and use them wisely, so that we can strategize and handle any unforeseen circumstances coming from the pandemic,” said Blair.
Superintendent Gordon Smith detailed how ESSER funds will improve education across the district. After analyzing the educational conditions, Smith concluded that enhanced early literacy and math programs for elementary students would be vital additions. “[We’re] working with DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) to look at all of our curriculum and how we go about teaching,” said Smith. The superintendent mentioned that the district’s summer academies and staff technological repairs would additionally be preserved by ESSER funds.
Smith then provided updates on the FY23 Capital Projects, including the increased cost of the Meadow Brook Elementary School perimeter lighting renovation to $1.9 million due to the need of filling exterior spaces with asphalt. After committee members raised concerns about the project’s cost, the superintendent agreed that the district will have to go back to the drawing board about the renovation.
Nursing Director Kelly Labombard also provided updates on the district’s health guidelines. In the wake of the DESE decision to extend the mask mandate in schools to Jan. 15, Labombard updated the committee on the district’s efforts to receive accurate vaccination data from students and staff. If 80 percent of students and staff are vaccinated in a school, they will be allowed to waive the DESE mask mandate.
At the time of the meeting, the nursing director said that 55 percent of staff and 65 percent of students have provided vaccination documentation at East Longmeadow High School, while 37 percent of staff and 47 percent of students have submitted proof of vaccination at Birchland Park Middle School. Labombard also revealed that 40 students at the high school and 60 at Birchland have only one dose of the vaccination. School Committee member Gregory Thompson advocated for families to self-report vaccination data so the district can have accurate information.
In regard to maintaining proper distancing, the committee discussed how it will be maintained with outdoor options being less frequent due to weather conditions. School Committee Chair Sarah Truoiolo stressed the importance of working toward a tenable solution as the amount of available space wanes. “We should have the leadership team connect with the principals, talk with them about what is or isn’t working and make an adjustment to the policy if needed,” said Truoiolo. The committee also discussed possibly adding a test and stay program for close contact students if the district experiences a spike in cases.
The East Longmeadow School Committee will meet again on Nov. 16.