As folks around the country were scrambling for toilet paper due to the COVID pandemic, the federal government set its sights on printing money so that schools could reopen (they were stocked with toilet paper because they had been closed for a year).  As part of the American Rescue Plan, the US Department of Education would oversee a school and student relief fund, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER).  In an August 2021 press release, the DOE announced that Connecticut school districts would receive $1.1 Billion in ESSER funds.  HPS budget documents show that HPS’ share of the emergency relief funds would be nearly $155 Million, nearly half of its annual budget.

            Documents shown at the Hartford Board of Education’s January 17th meeting, show that HPS has spent only $58 million of their ESSER receipts.  The remaining $97 million will be needed to maintain the programs, services, and hirings that ate up the first $58 million, and it must be spent by September of 2024.  Then the vault will be empty; no more ESSER money will be printed (as of right now).

         The massive money print by the feds due to COVID created thousands of experts looking to assist schools in spending that money.  The search term, “COVID consultant,” most likely became a hit on Google.  The consulting company Education Resource Strategies (ERS) had their tentacles wrapped around Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez’s shoulders long before COVID, and suddenly their website sprang to life with resource documents instructing schools how to best use their new-found wealth.  HPS bit, and they now pay ERS with ESSER funds ($375,000 for the last contract extension in April 2022).

Let’s look at some of the other things the Superintendent and the Board of Education picked up on their ESSER shopping spree.  Were these wise, long-term investments in the education of students and support of the schools?  Which programs and services put in place with the ESSER funds will disappear in 2024?  And cut, they must.  ESSER revenue and spending is not included in the annual budget workup.  If all ESSER funds spent are added to the current expenditures of HPS, it would nearly triple the size of their current projected deficit.  All of the items listed below are found in documents provided during the monthly Regular Meetings of the Board, and available at BoardDocs.

• They have hired teachers, administrators, principals, or vice-principals, but no guidance counselor, and only $13k was spent on that line item.  Didn’t we need guidance counselors to deal with the mental stress of students brought on by COVID?

• Somebody in HPS is getting bonuses.  ESSER funds were used to pay $1.3 million in certified bonuses, and $200k went to non-certified bonuses.

• They have hired support staff and paraprofessionals, and custodians.  They have paid for grounds maintenance, internet, and spent $160k on “awards and incentives.”

•  In lieu of guidance counselors, they have paid Effective School Solutions nearly $3.4 million for student mental health needs.

• They have spent at least $250k on LINCSpring, which few teachers liked, and which is rarely used.

• At least $250k is being used to operate student summer school programs run by the Hispanic Health Council, OPMAD, and the YMCA.

• They spent at least $54k on those ridiculous “Culture and Climate” surveys which the Superintendent believes paint a true picture of the HPS community.

•  Hartford Parent University and Milly Arciniegas received at least $233k, yet only 23% of Hartford parents filled out the Superintendent’s ridiculous “Culture and Climate” survey.

• Blue Hills Civic Association (what all NRZ’s should be) received $560k for running an after school special for students at Weaver High.

• READYCT received at least $800k for career pathways programs at Weaver, Bulkeley, and Great Paths Academy.

• Intervene K-12, $3.2 million for student tutoring.

• They paid the New Teacher Project at least $450k to consult with Dr. Curtis on how to recruit teachers, then they turned around and paid Adams & Knight of Avon $450k to post Twitter and Indeed ads for teacher recruitment.  HPS is still short 200 teachers.

• They paid DilingerRAd a $135k for a district data system.  Then in December of 2022, they hired a Deputy Superintendent (not with ESSER funds) who has developed school and city data systems.

•  Hope Academy is being funded with ESSER funds.

• The group facilitating the hiring of the Puerto Rican and Caribbean teachers, International Alliance Group, is being paid “per hire” by ESSER funds.

• $1.3 million is paid to Achievement Network (ANET) for teacher development.

• The Community School at Parkville School is funded by ESSER funds.

• The upcoming “Youth Talks” program at SMSA will be funded with ESSER funds.

• The upcoming, health threatening, Esports lab at University High will be funded with ESSER funds.

This is not a complete list, obviously.  However, it does show areas where cuts and cutbacks will be felt by students, the schools, and teachers.  Do some of these seem sort of border line relief from the COVID crisis?  If you said, yes, you are not alone.

             A Government Accountability Office report reveals that not all is what it appears when it comes to COVID relief.  The relief program was approved, the money printed quickly, and funds distributed quickly without systems in place to prevent and identify payment errors and fraud. Although the full extent of fraud has yet to be determined, the GAO report gives a glimpse of what has happened and what is to come.  Between March of 2020 and January of 2022, 417 individuals pleaded guilty to, and 11 individuals were convicted of, federal charges of defrauding COVID relief programs.  One individual pleaded guilty and was sentenced to over 17 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $4.5 million in restitution.  The GAO report states that there are 566 cases of fraud still pending.

             The website, The Hill, reported that due to the “massive increase” in overnight cash, and with “insufficient oversight,” many school districts are “throwing money at projects” unrelated to COVID relief.  Projects such as sports facilities and an urban bird sanctuary…or maybe an Esports lab?  In October of 2021, the CTMirror reported that West Haven officials were being investigated by State officials (and had a visit from the FBI) for possible misuse of federal ESSER funds.  In Fairfax, Virginia it was reported that parents were speaking up about their School Board’s use of ESSER funds.  One parent reported that the amount spent for special education support services amounted to $27 per special education child.  Based on the engaged parents in Fairfax, the DOE is investigating Fairfax Public Schools for possible ESSER malfeasance.

            Be like the parents in Fairfax.  Be engaged.  And if you suspect fraud, waste, or abuse of ESSER funds deposited in HPS bank accounts, you can report your concerns to the US Department of Education at this LINK.  This funding was for the support of schools and students, do not let that funding end up in the wrong hands for the wrong reasons!