Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District Director of Finance and Operations Stephen Presnal speaks to the Southwick Select Board Dec. 14, 2020 via Zoom. (SCREENSHOT)
SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Select Board Dec. 14 unanimously approved giving up to $107,000 in potential Cares Act funds to the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District.
Superintendent Jennifer Willard and Stephen Presnal, district director of finance and operations, asked the board during its Zoom meeting if it would consider giving the schools a portion of the town’s Cares Act allocation. Presnal said the district needed $107,000 and was asking each of the district communities for a contribution equal to the percentage of its school assessment. For Southwick, that would be approximately $89,000.
Presnal said he also reached out to select boards in Granville and Tolland but has not “had an audience with them” and was not sure if they would respond. Southwick board members approved a motion giving the district the amount equal to its assessment percentage with a contingency that if Tolland and/or Granville could not contribute, Southwick would contribute the full amount.
“We’re here to help,” said Selectman Joseph Deedy. “Let’s do it all.”
Presnal said the district has received four grants to help with COVID-19 related expenses, including a technology grant for $83,337 and a $246,225 grant for personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, sanitizers, masks and more. The Department of Secondary and Elementary Education gave the district $4,400 to help offset food services, which is providing free lunch every day to all students, and is funding air purifiers for 45 classrooms.
“Opening this year was a challenge,” Willard said. “We had to increase our tech needs to get every student 1:1 with computers and PPE was a great expense.”
Presnal said the district incurred expenses for supplies beyond what they received in grant funding and the Cares Act allows municipalities to give those funds to another body, such as the regional school district, including for items already purchased.
Town Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said the town has used about $70,000 of its Cares Act allocation and has some funds pending approval through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He said the total of what was used and what is pending totals around $300,000 and the state allocated approximately $800,000 for Southwick’s Cares Act funding. He added that it is not handed over to the town as cash in its bank account and they would need to apply for it.
“Thank you,” Willard said, “we appreciate it and will do everything we can with our (Fiscal Year 22) budget to keep it as minimal as possible.”
