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FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 directors Tuesday approved the submission of an application for a $2.4 million COVID-19 emergency relief grant.
In a presentation on spending plans to the board, Sue Pratt, coordinator of coronavirus relief funds, explained the grant, titled Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER II, would fund financial needs incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased demand for social workers and new shelters to encourage outdoor classrooms.
The district would direct $1.40 million to “student support,” which Pratt said is “our top priority.” This 58% of the grant would be used to hire two additional social workers, one of whom will “focus on drugs and alcohol counseling” and two interventionist teachers at Mt. Blue Middle School and High School to support students struggling in the classroom. This area of the grant would also pay for student laptops and the supplies needed for a “full return,” which interim Superintendent Monique Poulin said the district is anticipating for the 2021-22 school year.