Editor’s note: The Caesar Rodney, Lake Forest and Laurel school districts did not respond to questions submitted by the Delaware State News.

Capital School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? $2,809,613.

How much of that money has been spent to date? $2,614,891.56.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? Educational technology; sanitization and personal protective equipment; learning loss for students; air quality; operational sustainability.

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? None.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? $194,721.44.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? Buildings made PPE, sanitation and other purchases aligned with the overall spending priorities listed above.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? There are 15 allowable spending categories, providing a great degree of flexibility to cover educational and operational needs. The state encourages the use of funds for the most vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, English language learner and low-income populations; CARES Act funding allowed us to fund all items necessary to meet state guidelines for PPE, sanitization, social distancing, etc.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? HVAC was not a part of this grant.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? No impact on local tax rate as a result of this one-time funding.

Milford School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? $1,392,311.

How much of that money has been spent to date? Total spent: $555,636.95; encumbered: $56,747.81.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? Educational technology; sanitization and PPE; learning loss for students; summer learning programs and materials; air-quality initiatives; operational sustainability and food-service programs.

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? None at this time.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? $779,926.24.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? Yes, schools submitted requests for individual needs. The purchases align with the overall spending, as detailed above.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? There are 12 allowable spending categories, providing a great degree of flexibility to cover educational and operational needs. The state encourages the use of funds for the most vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, ELL and low-income populations; CARES Act funding allowed us to fund all items necessary to meet state guidelines for PPE, sanitization, social distancing, etc.; air-quality needs have/are/can be addressed with CARES funding.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? The upcoming allocation of federal funds will be used to address air quality throughout the district, including HVAC upgrades at our high school and Banneker Elementary facilities.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? There is no impact of these one-time funds on the local tax rates.

Polytech School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? $152,242.

How much of that money has been spent to date? $127,786.23 has been expended to date. The remaining balance is allocated toward personnel costs for the remainder of the school year.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? Staffing to provide hybrid-learning environment; professional learning for staff around hybrid learning; sanitization and PPE; learning loss; summer learning.

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? None at this time.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? $0.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? Yes, both Polytech High School and Polytech Adult Education were involved in the planning of the expenditure of the funds. The district formed a committee to navigate the challenges of reopening, effectively plan for reopening and guide us through the current school year. The committee also surveyed students and families to assess their needs.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? There are 15 allowable spending categories, providing a great degree of flexibility to cover educational and operational needs. The state encourages the use of funds for the most vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, ELL and low-income populations; CARES Act funding allowed us to fund all items necessary to meet state guidelines for PPE, sanitization, social distancing, etc. Air-quality needs have/are/can be addressed with CARES funding.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? The district went through a thorough review of all HVAC equipment and air flow last spring in anticipation of this school year. In totality, our systems exceeded all standards and maintenance recommendations; however, leveraging additional federal funds we will receive in the upcoming year, we will be making additional investments in our HVAC systems districtwide.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? These one-time funds will not have an impact on the local property tax rate.

Smyrna School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? $836,666.

How much of that money has been spent to date? $649,967.89 through April 12.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? Activities to address the unique needs of special populations ($21,980); coordination of preparedness and response efforts ($85,485); other activities necessary to maintain operation of and continuity of services ($73,692); planning for, coordinating and implementing activities during long-term closures ($70,000); purchasing educational technology ($411,000); purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean facilities ($174,509).

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? None at this time.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? $186,698.11.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? The use of funds was decided by district leadership with input from academic, building, operational and special services staff.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? The federal legislation established 12 focus areas. The district allocated funds to six of the areas, as noted in the earlier answer, and three of the four that were prioritized by the state.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? The majority of the district allocation went to the state priority areas, as referenced in the earlier question. HVAC improvements were not an allowable expense in the initial allocation. Projects will be considered using subsequent allocations.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? This one-time funding source will not impact district tax rates.

Seaford School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? Seaford School District has received to date $1,633,864 from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.

How much of that money has been spent to date? Funding was aligned to the focus areas designated in the authorizing legislation (see below for specifics). The total amount spent as of April 15 was $747,377.29, with $621,398.11 encumbered.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? See below summary per focus area.

1. Address unique needs of subgroups: additional learning platforms, professional development, subscriptions and instructional learning material (for both remote and in-person instruction and to address learning loss and anticipated needs for summer school).

2. Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean facilities.

3. Planning for long-term closures: supplies and equipment for operational sustainability, which included items for the food-service program.

4. Purchasing educational technology for students to aid interaction between students and instructors: Chromebooks, adaptive equipment, laptops and technology infrastructure.

5. Other activities to maintain operations of and continuity of services and continuing to employ existing staff: PPS supplies, signage, nursing supplies, additional supplies and instructional material, substitute costs and additional funding for salaries and OECS for extra hours and overtime worked to meet additional requirements due to COVID-19.

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? None at this time.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? $300,527.60.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? Yes, schools were provided funding to address specific building needs. The purchases aligned with the overall spending detailed in the response to the question above.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? Funding could be aligned to the 15 focus areas designated in the authorizing legislation, which provided an expansion span of flexibility to address needs. The state was instrumental in providing comprehensive reopening-schools guidance that was used as a blueprint for prioritizing needs. Additionally, the state encouraged the use of funds for the most vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, ELL and low-income populations. Funds also allowed the district to meet state guidelines for PPE, sanitization, social distancing, air quality, etc.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? CARES funding was used to ensure that the district met the requirements in the guidance document. Funding was used for an array of services/materials, such as signage, cleaning and sanitization equipment.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? As CARES funds are one-time funds to be used to address issues created by the pandemic, there is no impact on the local tax rate.

Woodbridge School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? $1,037,200.

How much of that money has been spent to date? $776,718.90.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? Educational technology (Chromebooks, programs for virtual learning like OTUS, Zoom, instructional); sanitization and PPE (staffing to aid in cleaning buildings); learning loss for students; summer learning programs and materials; air-quality initiatives (air filters); operational sustainability; and food-service programs.

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? None at this time.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? $260,481.10. This will be encumbered quickly for technology and summer learning needs.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? Yes, schools submitted requests for individual needs. The purchases align with the overall spending, as detailed above.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? There are 15 allowable spending categories, providing a great degree of flexibility to cover educational and operational needs. The state encourages the use of funds for the most vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, ELL and low-income populations. CARES Act funding allowed us to fund all items necessary to meet state guidelines for PPE, sanitization, social distancing, etc. Air-quality needs have/are/can be addressed with CARES funding.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? The upcoming allocation of federal funds will partially be used to address air quality throughout the district, including HVAC and possible window upgrades at various locations.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? There is no impact of these one-time funds on the local tax rates.

Sussex Technical School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? Sussex Tech has received $160,024.

How much of that money has been spent to date? About $152,000.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? Primarily educational technology such as laptops, computer carts and mobile workstations to facilitate remote learning, as well as logistical items such as wireless access points, transportation software and staff child care (a temporary program in the fall).

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? There are other projects being funded through other sources.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? From ESSER I, we have approximately $8,000 remaining.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? We’re a single-school district, so this doesn’t apply.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? The state did set parameters for spending, but districts were granted a degree of flexibility.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? We have contracted through other funding sources for an air-quality evaluation, and funding has been allocated in the ESSER II funding that will allow us to improve the air-quality systems in our facilities.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? This one-time emergency funding will not have any impact on local tax rates.

Indian River School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? $2,889,641 as of April 22.

How much of that money has been spent to date? $1,041,061.90 spent and $406,728.42 encumbered as of April 22.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? Includes, but is not limited to, special-education recovery services, educational technology, sanitization and PPE, additional staffing for student and operational support, learning loss/summer learning programs and materials, air-quality initiatives, operational sustainability.

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? None at this time.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? $1,441,850.68 as of April 22.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? Yes, individual instructional materials, so sharing did not occur; PPE-related items for various programs; postage/supplies for additional paper materials and mailings.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? There are various allowable spending categories, providing a great detail of flexibility to cover educational and operational needs.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? The funds were used to purchase supplies and materials for sanitization, social distancing and PPE. HVAC needs will be addressed with other federal allocations.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? There is no impact of these one-time funds on the local tax rates.

Cape Henlopen School District

How much CARES Act funding has the district received? ESSER I allocated $1,166,328.

How much of that money has been spent to date? Amount encumbered/spent as of April 12: $1,080,540.98.

What is the primary purchase/investment for those dollars? Educational technology, staffing to provide hybrid-learning environment, sanitization and PPE, learning loss, summer learning, air quality, operational sustainability.

What major projects are needed that weren’t funded through CARES Act money? None at this point.

What CARES Act money remains to be spent at the district level? $85,787.02 is allocated to personnel costs.

Did schools have the ability to use that money for individual needs? If so, what are examples of how schools used their money? School needs are addressed through the building budget. Items that affected all schools were coordinated at the district level. There is nothing that a school has needed related to the pandemic that has not been reviewed and/or approved, if deemed appropriate.

Did the district have flexibility in how it spent its CARES Act money? How did the state set parameters for spending? There are 12 allowable spending categories, providing a great degree of flexibility to cover educational and operational needs. The state encourages the use of funds for the most vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, ELL and low-income populations. CARES Act funding allowed us to fund all items necessary to meet state guidelines for PPE, sanitization, social distancing, etc.

The state put out reopening guidance that emphasized things such as air flow, signage, etc. How did the district use CARES Act funding to meet those guidelines? Was HVAC a significant project, and if so, how much? Air-quality needs have/are/can be addressed with CARES funding, and there was $250,000 allocated to address the older buildings. Most of our facilities are new with upgraded HVAC systems.

Will the CARES Act dollars your district received have any impact on the local property tax rate? Could it possibly decrease in light of additional monies for projects that were already needed that would have been paid with local district taxpayer dollars? No impact.