For more detailed guidance and comprehensive statewide information on COVID-19 please visit the OSPI website. 

Additional explanations of some of the key expenditures of ESSER funds at the district can be found below. 

• Expanded Digital Learning Academy offerings – The Pasco School District has utilized significant funding to expand the existing Internet Pasco Academy of Learning (iPAL). The district also launched Pasco Innovative eXperiences & e-Learning (PIXeL), Pasco Parent Partnership (P3), and Virtual New Horizon programs. The district has purchased an existing building to house COVID health responders and equipment as well as house those teachers educating students in a digital environment. The facility will be a place for those participating in the Digital Learning Academy to come and interact with staff and students when needed. 

• The district is expanding the presence of a long-time partner, Communities in Schools, to more schools throughout the district. Their influence on our students and community directly aligns with ESSER fund goals. 

• In other efforts to address the mental health of students, the district has partnered with Hazel Health to provide additional mental health services. There have been several board meeting presentations on this topic if you would like to learn more. Building principals and staff can help point you in the right direction in accessing these services. 

• Additional tutoring services outside the normal school day have been made available to students and families through TutorMe. These services are above and beyond the work our current staff are doing through assessments, interventions, and in school tutoring. Building principals and staff will be able to help you access these services should you choose. 

• The district continues to employ health aides and staffing throughout the district to ensure staff and students are safe when staff and/or students show signs and symptoms of or even test positive for COVID-19. 

• Technology continues to be an important piece in addressing the pandemic-related challenges of educating students. The district was already on its way to a 1 to 1 Device Initiative but had not yet pushed that to the Elementary School level. The pandemic accelerated that need and many computers and increased support for the added inventory have been an added cost to the district. 

• PPE and social distancing requirements challenged the district to get creative in the utilization of existing spaces. Furniture and classroom rearrangements were necessary to maximize the number of students in classrooms and other shared spaces. Additional chairs and desks were needed as existing desks and chairs did not allow the district to maintain the required social distancing requirements. 

• Many of the HVAC systems throughout the district were unable to keep up with the higher demands of increased airflow and filtration. ESSER funds have allowed for the replacement of and updates to key components of these systems to keep up with the new air quality requirements. 

• Staffing costs have continued to be a significant use of ESSER funds, especially when asked to retain jobs during a time of enrollment decline due to the pandemic. It is normal for districts across the state and nation to have staffing cost be 80-85% of their total operating budget. Pasco Schools are no different. Engaging staff in new innovative ways to engage in student assessment and learning requires additional work. Staff costs include the Digital Learning Academy offerings, health aids and nurses, and the additional work required to address, respond, and prepare for the education of students and staff during the pandemic.  

The Pasco School District appreciates your interest in the way we have utilized the one-time emergency funding and hope this has helped you find the answers you seek. Keep checking back to this webpage for the most updated information.