Federal funds let Lewiston schools address some issues

The Lewiston School District is planning to use its third round of federal relief dollars, about $5.6 million in total, to address student and parent engagement, as well as math and literacy assessment scores, among others.

Community stakeholders on the school district’s new advisory committee for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds spent Tuesday morning examining students’ testing data from the spring.

“It’s one-time money,” Superintendent Lance Hansen said. “How do we maximize it?”

At least 20 percent of the money, allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act in March, must address pandemic-related learning loss through evidence-based interventions, including the academic, social and emotional needs of students.

Hansen expressed concerns that, in some students’ homes, educational achievements aren’t valued. Or perhaps, he said, they’re not prioritized above more basic, material needs.

“In order to invest in one’s own education, you need a long-term goal,” he said. “If the only goal is to find a place to sleep at night, or to have a meal ...”

Several other concerns emerged following the group’s second meeting, most notably identifying a need for student support within the school day and after hours. Based on a student engagement survey from last year, over a quarter of kids in grades six through eight reported being “emotionally disengaged” in the classroom.

According to Jon Evans, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley, food insecurity may play a large role in academic performance.

“A third of the kids are food insecure in some way, shape or form,” he said. “Try doing math when you’re hungry — it’s impossible. These kids are showing up with the deck already stacked against them.”

Data from the school district shows nearly 40 percent of seventh grade students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. In ninth grade, that number sits just above 25 percent.

However, as students move from elementary to middle school, they become less likely to apply for lunch assistance. In third grade, 126 students received free or reduced-price meals, while in 10th grade, there were just 88 students.

In addition to factors outside the school district’s control, many students need support to reach academic benchmarks for subjects like math and literacy.

Hansen hopes to address some of these barriers with the supplemental federal funding. A few areas have been identified, including parent involvement and peer support among students. Potential plans may add additional literacy instructors and assistants.

“The goal right away is to have every one of our elementaries with the same resources, across the board,” Hansen said. “That would be one literacy instructor and three aides, at the minimum.”

As stakeholders continue to work through how they’ll utilize the funds, the next committee meeting has been set for September, at a date not yet determined.

The school district has until Oct. 1 to inform the state of how the money will be used.

Palermo may be contacted at apalermo@lmtribune.com. Follow her on Twitter @apalermotweets.