City Schools Transition to Fewer Buildings, as ESSER Funds Cease

Overview

Bristol Virginia Public Schools, in an effort to streamline operations, consolidate resources and build a more sustainable model, are planning on reducing their number of buildings before the upcoming school year. This decision comes alongside the cessation of funds from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund, a federal program aimed at mitigating the academic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The combined impact of these changes will see 32 positions cut from the school’s payroll, although roughly half of these are expected to be addressed through attrition, relocations, and role implementations.

The Consolidation Plan

The city’s educational consolidation plan sees the closure of three elementary schools, with all students instead directed to a newly developed $25 million Virginia Intermediate School based on the existing Van Pelt campus. Three teaching roles will be cut due to this consolidation, with attrition being the likely route of their departure. Additionally, three custodial roles and a media specialist position are slated for elimination.

At the same time, some roles will be maintained by the school division but relocated to other segments of the school system. They include the positions of a nurse, a counselor, and a clerical worker.

Loss of ESSER Funds

The second significant change impacting city schools is the impending expiration of the ESSER funds. These funds, temporary by definition, were granted to school systems as an emergency measure to counteract the impacts of COVID-19. With ESSER funds going away at the end of this school year, the school board will have to eliminate eight behavior specialist positions. However, it plans to maintain five similar roles by redirecting them to local funding.

Challenges Ahead

The elimination of ESSER funding also signifies the end of 15 classroom aide positions and two interventionist positions. Meanwhile, the school board proposes transitioning four attendance positions to a one-time funding source for the upcoming year only. Amid these challenges, however, the school board plans to add two new positions, a STEM teacher, and a maintenance role for the new school.

Conclusion

The move toward consolidation and the loss of ESSER funding certainly present a difficult landscape for the Bristol Virginia Public School Division. Nonetheless, the school board remains hopeful that an improvement in the economy, combined with the opening of new venues like the casino, may enable the city to contribute more to its schools. It is still early days, and much depends on the finalization of budget negotiations, but the school board is optimistic that in future years, some of the eliminated positions may be reintroduced on a more permanent basis.