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Date: 3/15/2023
BELCHERTOWN – The School Committee approved stipends for district employees who worked during the coronavirus pandemic at its March 7 meeting.
In October 2022, the School Committee was awarded $617,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to use from the Select Board to be able to pay its employees who worked during the coronavirus pandemic.
The payments would include $2,500 each for school district’s approximately 300 full-time employees, and $1,250 to the district’s 23 part-time staff. This included $500 that the School Committee said they would give to each employee.
In November 2022, the School Committee hesitated to use all their ARPA funds on their employees because their original request was for $917,000. The additional $300,000 was to go towards new cameras and security system for each school building.
Superintendent Brian Cameron has stated multiple times that the current system is outdated and desperately needs an upgrade.
Cameron and the committee feared that they may not receive the additional $300,000 for the security system and decided to reserve a portion of the funds for that use.
The committee agreed to take out 25 percent of $617,000 to put toward cameras if the Select Board does not grant them more money.
On Feb. 21, Cameron and School Committee Chair Heidi Gutekenst met with the Select Board and were awarded the additional money they needed for the cameras.
They added that the entire project will cost more than the $300,000 but the schools will “figure out a way to cover the rest.”
On March 7, the School Committee unanimously approved the use $617,000 in ARPA funds for hazard pay.
The School Committee said that they will discuss the security system project at their next meeting.