LaCroix lays out ESSER spending plan for schools

Weston County School District No. 1 Superintendent Brad LaCroix would like to kill many birds with one stone with Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief 3.0 funds, better known as ESSER 3.0. That plan is to build an unspecified structure to act as a multipurpose room. 
The hope is for the district and the community to have the ability to expand school activities, after-school activities and summer activities by having more space to host various events, practices and gatherings. 
According to implementation plan documents, the district received $3,751,067.75 in federal funding from the state through the ESSER 3.0, part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It provided nearly $122 billion to “states and local educational agencies to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s students.” 
“After looking at it (the ESSER 3.0 grant), I’ve asked the board to think about a few different things. Instead of not doing anything, like has been suggested, we are looking at doing a couple of different things,” LaCroix said. “The biggest one, option A, would be to look at a facility that would accommodate after-school learning, summer-school learning and other activities. It would really look at doing a better job of connecting the family to school and the community.” 
The catch, LaCroix said, is that the school district could not invest in the building without the partnership of the city or county to help with the future funding of utilities and maintenance. 
“We are guesstimating between $2 and $2.5 million for this type of structure. The biggest downside and concern is sustainability. As a district, we don’t want to use general funds for this project; it takes away from kid and staff opportunity,” he said. “We have to find some community partners to help with utilities and maintenance.” 
LaCroix noted that to be a true community building (being used when school staff could not oversee operating), someone would also have to come up with a community lead idea to staff the facility. 
“It is a pretty hefty kind of thought, so I hope other people have some ideas,” he said. 
The district plans to approach the city and possibly the county to discuss potential partnerships for the building. 
Plan B would be using the money to recruit and retain staff by offering incentive stipends. 
“There is a plan B, if the building isn’t workable. Other districts are throwing money at staff stipends for recruiting and retaining,” LaCroix said. “That is something that we have never allocated money to, but we could if the plans were to change, or priorities.” 
He said that he would rather see the district find a way to add money to the base pay instead of stipends for retainment and recruitment, which are a hit-and-miss deal with teachers. LaCroix added, though, that the district could address pay without the grant. 

In addition to the proposed building, the district will allocate $86,000 to updating the bookmobile, $112,134 for summer and after-school programs, $17,000 for healthy snacks, $300,000 for equipment and supplies, $200,000 to potentially expand the elementary school playground and $98,067 to help the district focus on the physical-emotional health of staff and students. 
Part of this, according to LaCroix, would include expanding STEM programing in K-12 schools and after-school hours, as well as funding for staff development in STEM programing. 
“We understand this is not free money; it is taxpayer money and we respect that,” LaCroix said, noting that some individuals have suggested that the schools and local municipalities return the money instead of spending it. 
“If we do not accept the money, it will be reallocated within the state. It is worth a conversation at this time,” he said. 
The district is open to ideas and suggestions for spending the money and possible approaches to achieving the district’s goals with the funding, LaCroix said.