Merced Union High School District to see $9M in state grants. Here’s where the money’s going

Leaders with Merced Union High School District are moving forward with plans to utilize just over $9 million in state funds to help move forward as the rate of COVID infections decrease and normal academic life gradually returns.

The MUHSD board last week approved plans to use the dollars from Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant funds — part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s and the legislature’s $6.6 billion reopening package for schools.

The funds will go toward a variety of uses, including hiring, retaining and training staff, plus providing support for social-emotional health services for students and providing tutoring/enrichment services and free meals to students.

Superintendent Alan Peterson said the money gives the district “a huge opportunity” to reset, refine and improve the district by the fall semester.

“I met with a number of staff members this week to get their honest feedback of where we are, where we need to go,” he said. “We’re going to take that feedback and talk with principals, and talk with cabinets and really plan well in order to reset our district in August in the very best way we can.”

School districts like MUHSD who want to access the state funds must complete a grant plan, which must be adopted by the local governing board before June 1.

Peterson said parents, students, staff, and stakeholders suggested in district surveys that a large portion of the funds should be used for emotional support, due to the increase level of stress, anxiety, and depression parents and faculty saw in students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The bottom line is, there is a need,” Peterson said. “I think for some students this has been a very difficult time and we are expecting a certain time of adjustment coming back, so we want to make sure those resources are in place whether it’s extra time with our current personnel or bringing a third party to assist us. We’re trying to have a menu of options available to serve the needs of our students.”

Some of the highlights of the district’s plan to use the $9 million include:

• $2.4 million for after-school programs and summer school along with credit recovery, tutorial support and reteaching opportunities for students who need support in their current classes.

• $1.8 million to provide a student emotional support manager for all 10 high schools. The district will also contract with Sierra Vista Learning Center to provide three additional counselors for social/emotional support.

• $1.75 million for staff development training and programs to optimize what kinds of technology are best for enhancing teaching.

• $850,000 to hire eight new paraprofessional employees and retain others to provide emotional and academic support to students, especially special education students and English language learners.

• $660,000 to pay for free lunch for all students during summer school and during the regular school year.

• $500,000 to offer extra counseling for summer school, after school, and on Saturdays as needed.

Although the grant dollars are one-time funds, the district also has $16 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief and Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funds to cover additional costs for supporting academic and mental health needs for the next few years.

The $16 million will also cover costs for Chromebooks, replacing heating and air conditioning, network upgrades, security cameras, establishing an online virtual academy in the spring of 2022, touchless water faucets, restroom renovations, and other uses.

This story was originally published May 18, 2021 at 8:41 AM.