Franklin schools plans to hire 23 classroom assistants with money it expects to get from the federal government.
Franklin Community Schools will receive $428,032 from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act. Although they will have a different title, CARES Act assistants, they will have a similar role to classroom assistants, and will be responsible for talking with students who are struggling individually or in a small group separated from the rest of the class, said Robin Betts, spokesperson for Franklin schools.
An initial proposal detailing what Franklin schools would do with CARES Act money looked different. In that proposal, Franklin schools planned to hire fewer classroom assistants, but hire permanent substitute teachers, tutors and a social worker. Administrators scrapped that plan after they consulted teachers and the Franklin Community Teachers’ Association, Chief Financial Officer Tina Jobe-Gross said during a school board meeting Monday.
“After much discussion with our teachers and the FCTA, the consistent theme was more hands in the classroom,” Jobe-Gross said. “We backed away from some of those other positions and focused on bringing assistants into the classroom who would make an impact on students and also take some of the stress off teachers.”
The assistants will be paid $75 a day, or $13,500 over the course of an academic year. Those positions will be temporary positions solely for the 2020-21 school year. Franklin schools will spend $310,500 on CARES Act assistants, she said.
In addition, $15,000 will cover the cost of about 200 Wi-FI hotspots Franklin schools provided to students who had connectivity issues. The rest of the money, $102,532, will be set aside for future needs, Betts said.
“(Administrators) wanted to build in a cautionary amount of money based on what needs come up,” she said.
Any savings will help Franklin schools as it awaits the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. If payments on non-escrow accounts are delayed, the district could lose $6.7 million in the worst-case scenario, Jobe-Gross said.
Now that the school board has approved it, Franklin schools will submit the application for CARES Act funding as soon as possible, she said.
AT A GLANCE
Here is a look at how Franklin Community Schools will spend federal dollars it expects to receive as part of the CARES Act:
23 classroom assistants: $310,500
Coverage for about 200 Wi-Fi hotspots: $15,000
Savings: $102,532
Total Franklin schools allocation: $428,032
Source: Franklin Community Schools
BY THE NUMBERS
Franklin schools plans to hire 23 additional classroom assistants with federals dollars it expects to receive as part of the CARES Act. Here is a look at how many new assistants each school would receive:
Franklin Community High School: 3
Franklin Community Middle School: 3
Custer Baker Intermediate School: 4
Creekside Elementary School: 4
Northwood Elementary School: 3
Needham Elementary School: 3
Webb Elementary School: 2
Union Elementary School: 1
Source: Franklin Community Schools
