Manatee School Board to consider $325,000 for masks to curb COVID-19. That’s not all

During its meeting on Tuesday evening, the School Board of Manatee County will vote on several high-dollar contracts and actions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday morning, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose by 30 in Manatee County, adding to nearly 1,200 existing cases, while the number of deaths remained at 105. With the new school year just two months away, the district is spending time and money on a solution to safely reopen campuses.

The board agenda includes hundreds of thousands of dollars for face masks and internet hot spots, along with more than a million dollars in federal aid for Manatee Technical College and its students. Residents can watch the meeting, scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, by visiting www.mstv.us or by watching Spectrum Channel 646 and Frontier Channel 39.

Masks for district students and staff

Several items are on the board’s “consent agenda,” a list of agreements that are approved with a single vote and no discussion. Among them is a contract for up to $325,000 in reusable face masks.

Manatee would provide the cloth masks to students and employees, offering different sizes and designs. According to the agenda, they might include “a head type device with a plastic shield” for students between pre-K and first grade, or a mask with adjustable straps for “smaller children.”

“The purchase of these products now will allow for the timely distribution of items when school resumes,” the agenda states. “Schools could be given the opportunity to purchase customized masks if time permits which would incorporate the school’s logo, colors or tag line.”

At a recent school board workshop, Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said the district was working on a plan for face masks. It was possible, she said, that students would have to wear masks in crowded areas, such as hallways, but not in classrooms with proper social distancing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its recommendation for schools last month. It encouraged schools “to teach and reinforce use of cloth face coverings,” except for children younger than 2, and anyone who has trouble breathing or removing a mask without help.

“Face coverings may be challenging for students (especially younger students) to wear in all-day settings such as school,” the CDC reported. “Face coverings should be worn by staff and students (particularly older students) as feasible, and are most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult.”

“Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms,” it continued.

Tuesday’s consent agenda also included up to $225,000 in spending for Schoology, the district’s online learning platform, along with two contracts for internet hot spots.

A contract worth up to $200,000 would allow the school district to buy hot spots and internet service on an as-needed basis, connecting district students with their online classes. Another agreement worth up to $100,000 would benefit students at Palm View K-8 School, providing them with internet access at home, according to the agenda.

Another consent item would change Manatee’s schedule in the upcoming school year, removing the professional learning and elementary early-release days from the district calendar. The number of school days would remain unchanged.

“The 2020-2021 Academic Calendar needs revision due to the uncertainty caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, and the possibility of providing instruction through a non-traditional learning model,” the agenda states.

Manatee released three options for the new school year: fully reopen schools, continue full-time online or combine the two, rotating students between online and in-person learning each week, allowing for greater social distancing.

The district is gathering feedback from parents and community members through Sunday. To fill out the seven-question survey, visit surveys.panoramaed.com/manatee/backtoschool2020.

Millions in state and federal money

The school district is expecting to receive more than a million dollars in federal money for Manatee Technical College, through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

At least 50 percent — $507,737 — must be used for “direct emergency financial aid grants to college students.” The other half is for “any costs associated with significant changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus,” according to Tuesday’s agenda.

Manatee is also hoping to free up more than $2.4 million for unexpected needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With action from the school board, Florida statute allows for the flexible use of certain money from the state, according to the agenda. Manatee hopes to use $2,436,805 in unspent money from the 2019-2020 budget for precautions in the new school year.

The board action — Resolution 2020-001 — is listed under “new business” on Tuesday’s agenda, allowing for a discussion before the vote. Specifically, the district plans to use $1,790,846 from the “instructional materials funds,” $614,372 from the “class-size reduction funds” and $31,587 from the “Florida digital classroom funds.”

Gina Messenger, the board chair, said there was statewide demand for pandemic supplies and that Manatee was hoping to make vital purchases before August, when school begins.

“These funds are urgently needed to help offset unanticipated COVID-19 expenditures, and possible future state funding reductions,” the agenda states.

This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 4:13 PM.