City of Piedmont
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: January 18, 2022
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Sara Lillevand, City Administrator
SUBJECT: Consideration of a Change to Health Funding Provided to the Piedmont Unified School District from the American Rescue Plan Act Funding Plan
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the attached resolution authorizing a change to health funding provides to the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) from the American Rescue Plan Act Funding Plan.
BACKGROUND
On October 4, 2021, the City Council passed Resolution 74-2021, which allocated the City’s share of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to several purposes, including appropriating $100,000 toward funding a temporary full-time school nurse to assist PUSD in its COVID-19 response.
Though it has engaged in recruitment efforts, PUSD has not been able to fill the school nurse position. Because of this, as well as the significant increase in need for testing to safely keep schools open, Superintendent Randall Booker has requested that the district be able to use the funding in a different manner, to fund the hiring of additional health clerks. PUSD health clerks provide support to school site operations with specific responsibilities under the direction of school principals and school nurses. Health clerks are vital to the coordination the district’s COVID-19 testing procedures which have ramped up significantly in response to the Omicron variant.
The original ARPA funding allocation was intended to support the return to in-person learning by aiding in the district’s response to COVID-19. Because PUSD has not been able to fill the school nurse position, staff recommends supporting this logical to shift of the allocated funding to be available for different human resources supporting the same overarching goal, to maintain a safe in-person learning environment for PUSD students, staff, and faculty.
By: John O. Tulloch, Assistant City Administrator / City Clerk RESOLUTION _____
A RESOLUTION ALLOWING FOR ADDITIONAL USES OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE
PLAN ACT FUNDING ALLOCATED TO THE PIEMDONT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEREAS, on October 4, 2021, the City Council passed Resolution 74-2021, allocating the City’s share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to several purposes, including appropriating $100,000 toward funding a temporary full-time school nurse to assist the Piedmont Unified School District in its COVID-19 response; and
WHEREAS, PUSD has engaged in recruitment efforts to fill this position, but has been unable to do so; and
WHEREAS, the original ARPA funding to PUSD allocation was intended to support the return to in-person learning by aiding in the district’s response to COVID-19; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to provide PUSD additional flexibility in how this allocated funding can be used;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Piedmont does hereby resolve, declare, determine, and order as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 2 (C) of Resolution 74-2021 is amended to read as follows:
“$100,000 to the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD), funding temporary full-time or part-time health related positions to assist PUSD in its COVID-19 response. The position or positions hired by PUSD with this funding shall be made available to support the City’s Recreation Department COVID response needs.”
[END OF RESOLUTION]