The Wrangell Borough Assembly met Tuesday evening for a special meeting, to consider CARES Act funding for the school district. Wrangell, and many other communities, recently received special funds through the CARES Act to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wrangell has used these funds, or plans to use them, for items like the purchase of a new ambulance, to cover wages for first responders, and to help pay for an alternate isolation site, among other planned expenses.
As the Wrangell School District plans to reopen for the next school year, they are seeking some CARES Act money to assist in their preparations.
The district provided the city with a list of planned expenditures in the amount of $483,637, according to the meeting's agenda packet. Some of the uses of the requested CARES Act funding include portable tables and stools, cleaning supplies, air purifiers, sanitation aid job positions, gym flooring, and tools for distance education, among other items.
"When I sent the laundry list of many, many items that we had gathered from our staff needs and wants, and supplies that are going to have to be in place to reopen school as safely and as educationally proficient as we can make it for distance learning options along with classroom learning, the list could have been longer but this is what we come with," said Superintendent Debbe Lancaster. "I understand that we most likely will not get everything that we're asking for, but appreciate the contribution that the city and borough is able to contribute."
While the school district was looking for a little less than $500,000 from the CARES Act fund, the assembly was only considering giving them an amount of $250,000. Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen explained that, while the assembly has received approximately $3.8 million in CARES Act funding, the majority of it has already been allocated or spent. Of this, she said that approximately $500,000 is still available. Wanting to keep some in reserve in case of emergencies, Von Bargen recommended that the best course of action would be to only consider using half of the available funding.
"We don't know what emergencies may lie ahead whether it's for us or even for the school district in the months to come," she said. "So what I started out with was $250,000 because that's approximately half of what we have remaining, and that leaves us with a cushion to address any emergencies that we may have here locally, for any COVID need."
The discussion continued for some time. Mayor Steve Prysunka questioned some items on the district's "wish list," while other assembly members discussed the possibilities of a new CARES Act being passed in the near future. They also considered the possibilities of the district finding new funding avenues to cover COVID mitigation costs. The assembly also discussed other places money could be pulled from in case of emergency. Lancaster said that the district had approximately $1 million in reserves, for emergency use and capital improvements. Joyce Mason, with the city, also pointed out that the city had approximately $2.5 to $3 million in Secure Rural Schools funding, as well as several million in general fund reserves, that could potentially be tapped into.
Assembly Member David Powell said that while he supports assisting the schools in reopening, he was concerned about using half of their remaining CARES Act funding. If Wrangell faced some kind of emergency, he said, they might need every dollar they could get. He also said that the idea the city has gone through $3.8 million in only a few months also worried him, but understood that there were reasons for all the places the CARES Act money went where it did.
Eventually, all participating assembly members approved the $250,000 allocation. Assembly Member Patty Gilbert abstained from participating on this item, as she is also a member of the school board. Assembly Member Ryan Howe also announced a conflict of interest, as he is employed by the school district. Mayor Steve Prysunka said Howe was allowed to participate in this item, however, as he was in a different position. Howe was not likely to benefit any more than any other employee of the district from this item, he said, so he was allowed to vote.
During this meeting, the assembly also appointed Assembly Member Anne Morrison and Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore to the collective bargaining team for the city. Before adjourning, they broke into an executive session to discuss collective bargaining negotiations, and the ground rules for said negotiations, between the borough and the IBEW, the electrical workers' union.
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