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District presents $4.4M priority-school grant, $508,000 commissioner’s grant and trauma-therapy funding
Summary
Staff described several grants including a $4.4 million priority school district grant focused on chronic absenteeism and student supports, a $508,000 commissioner’s network grant for stipends and staffing, and ongoing music-therapy funding from the Michael Bolton Foundation.
District staff briefed the Finance & Operations Committee on multiple grants designed to support instruction and student services.
For the commissioner’s network grant, a staff presenter said, "This is the year 2 of our grant. So this year, we were getting $508,000 from the state." The presenter said the district will use the funds to pay teacher stipends for extra morning and other extended-time work, to pay part of the climate-and-culture specialist’s salary (a continuing, second-year position), to add a second balanced-literacy tutor, and to purchase branded and beautification materials for the school. The presenter linked those expenditures to writing-across-the-curriculum professional development.
On the priority school district grant, staff described an entitlement grant delivered through the state consolidated application process. "This grant is just about $4,400,000," the presenter said, adding that the key investments will include interventions to address chronic absenteeism, 12 dropout-prevention specialists, early-childhood positions (including an early-childhood director), 18 paraprofessionals for kindergarten and first grade, and youth-development coordinators to support intervention work. The presenter said the grant supports the district’s strategic operating plan initiatives.
Staff also presented a proposal involving the Michael Bolton Foundation, which has funded music-therapy services for Riverside for seven to eight years. The presenter said the foundation offered two years of support toward an on-staff music therapist who serves students with individualized needs and trauma-related support.
Separately, staff described an agreement with the National Career Academy Coalition to support MSAP-funded schools in building career pathways and implementing academic interventions tied to a grant evaluation. District staff asked that vendor-selection details be added to the cover memo for the full board to explain how the vendor was selected under the grant’s evaluation requirements.
Committee members did not vote separately on each grant during the meeting; the committee approved a motion to send the package of agenda items, including abstracts and agreements, to the full board for consideration.
