Schools across Oklahoma have received funds through the CARES Act due to the ongoing Pandemic and the Cordell schools have used the money in several ways.
The Burns Flat-Dill City School District also has utilized CARES Act funds.
Cordell School Supt. Brad Overton explained the district received three different types of funding.
“The first is funds from the Coronavirus Aid Relief Act. We received $119,000. We used that to help with the salary of one person who will assist in virtual learning and we also purchased 80 new chrome books,” Overton said.
“We were able to replace a lot of our older ones. These were for grades 3-12 and we purchased several different kinds of software, too,” he added.
Overton noted that, “We also were able to assist about 40 kids who were having trouble with connectivity by providing them with internet hot spot devices.”
The Superintendent mentioned the difference between distance learning and virtual learning. Citing an example of distance learning, he said, “if we have a student who has to be quarantined for a while, but is coming back to the classroom, that is considered distance learning.”
He further termed it, “a temporary fix.”
Overton stressed, “The virtual learning student is one who is not coming onto campus at all.”
He pointed out, “If we spent that money in a certain way, which we did, then we qualified for the CARES Act Incentive Grant. That was the second type of funding,” he mentioned.
“We received $100,000. We bought IPads for students in grades K-2. We purchased about 200 of those and software to along with them,” Overton said.
He pointed to another $7,700 the district was awarded in Special Education funds due to COVID-19 to be used for Special Ed students. “We bought 25 chrome books with these funds,” he said.
Overton emphasized, “All schools got a portion of the CARES Act but not all got the Incentive grant,”
Burns Flat-Dill City School Supt. Larry Johnson said his district received $162,000. “We’ve spent about $88,000. We wouldn’t be able to make it without it. We’re looking at a budget shortfall already.”
He mentioned that the money can be used for school needs. “We purchased 152 Ipads for our lower elementary students. That would be grades Pre-K through third grade.”
“We also bought 110 chrome books for high school grades 10-12,” he noted. “We’re trying to get to 1-1. We don’t know how long we’ll be in school.”
Johnson pointed out, “We’re still waiting for the chrome books. We ordered them in the summer.”
The superintendent said the district spent about $8,000 on hot spots for students who are having trouble with connectivity.
“We bought about $4,000 worth of masks. We require masks be worn by all staff and students in grades 4-12. That’s worked out well,” he believes, and he says “the kids have been great with the masks.”
The district spent around $2,000 to outfit the remainder of the school with no-touch faucets.
“We’re using a lot more paper towels, soap, tons of sanitizer. We have sanitizing stations in each classroom and on all the buses. The CARES Act is allowing us to purchase all of that.”
Johnson pointed to another expenditure. “I was able to hire an additional staff person to come in after school. That person uses an electrostatic sprayer to clean all the classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasium, bathrooms. It puts a charge on the chemical used.”
“You aim it and it cleans, for instance, the whole chair, the desk, everything. It’s so much faster,” he stressed.
Johnson said during a recent interview, “We’re in our seventh week of school (last week). There have been no issues, even with the football games.”
He emphasized, “We haven’t had an actual COVID case in the school. We think the masks have played an important role in that.”
Johnson said, “Masks are even required of our fans and anyone else attending the game who is not participating in he contest as they enter our facility, then they can take it off.”
The band students were moved from the stands to one of the end zones and fans are allowed to sit in chairs in the other end zone.
Moving the band to the end zone has allowed more fans to sit in the stands, he explained.