State Provides More School COVID Funds, But How to Spend Them? Pasadena Townhall Today May Yield Answers

As Pasadena makes plans for a full campus reopening for the fall 2021-22 semester, the returning opportunity may come with additional costs. Enter Assembly Bill 86, a $6.6 billion COVID Relief school grant program.

Pasadena’s Local Control Accountability Plan Parent Advisory Committee (LCAP PAC) and Collaborate PASadena will hold an online town hall meeting Tuesday, May 11, to discuss those grant funds that the district is scheduled to receive.

“We hope that folks who don’t usually give input into what the needs of our schools and students are, will log on and give input, “or that they will convey their views on the needs to the principals of their schools,” said PUSD Board President Scott Phelps Monday,

The relief package, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in March, includes $2 billion for In-Person Instruction (IPI) Grants and $4.6 billion for Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Grants.

According to the terms of the grants, schools must implement a learning recovery program, that “at a minimum, provides supplemental instruction, support for social and emotional well-being, and, to the maximum extent permissible under the guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture, meals and snacks to specified student groups, as defined in Education Code Section 43522, who have faced adverse learning and social-emotional circumstances.”

ELO grants, on the other hand are only for extending instructional learning time, accelerating progress to close learning gaps, integrated pupil supports, community learning hubs, supports for credit deficient pupils, additional academic services, and training for school staff.

The town hall will focus on Expanded Learning Opportunity (ELO) funds.

The virtual town hall begins at 6 p.m. It will be live-streamed at  http://youtube.com/c/CollaboratePASadena/live.

Persons wanting to join the Town Hall, may visit www.pusd.us/townhall. Those wishing to submit questions in advance, may visit www.pusd.us/questions