10-12 - Request fo financially assist local school districts using CRF Program FundingItem Nos. 10-12
TO: Mayor & City Council
Grayson Path, City Manager
FROM: Charles Edwards, Resource Management & Consulting Co.
Gene Anderson, Finance Director
SUBJECT: CRF PROGRAM FUNDING — ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOLS
DATE: October 12, 2020
BACKGROUND:
On June 8, 2020, the City of Paris elected to participate in the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF)
made available by the State of Texas and administered through the Texas Department of
Emergency Management (TDEM). These funds are intended to reimburse communities for
expenditures related to the response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The City has since hired a
third party administrator to assist with the fund administration. The City is authorized by TDEM
to transfer funds to another local government provided that the expenditure is due to a public
health emergency.
During the summer, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released Operation Connectivity which
was designed to assist school districts with funds to promote remote learning. Initially, the TEA
matched the districts, dollar for dollar, for items purchased to increase the districts capacity for
remote learning. These expenditures included the purchase of hotspots, Chromebooks and IPad's.
The three districts within the City of Paris participated in this program.
STATUS OF ISSUE:
In late August, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) recommended to school districts across the
State that they approach their own communities who had received CRF allocations to support
another program designed to offset the remaining 50% spent by the districts on these purchases.
The TEA would again match, dollar for dollar, the remaining expense. This would, in effect,
reimburse the local school districts in full for these purchases. The local districts reached out to
the City regarding this opportunity. On August 31St, the City Manager formally responded to the
districts. This included a request to the districts of their specific need to be submitted to the City
for consideration. By September 15th, the City had received the specific requests from all
districts which are listed in the Budget section below.
The City has been collecting data regarding its own CRF eligible expenditures to date.
Department heads have also provided a forecast of expenditures through the eligible
reimbursement period of December 30, 2020. After compiling this data, although we are still
computing the final numbers and there remains three months this year (which falls within the
TDEM contract for covered period), the City Staff and 3 d Party Administrator are confident that
we should have adequate funds to meet the school districts' requests without detracting from the
City's ability to recoup its own critical COVID 19 expenses.
The TEA has in fact established a deadline for the City and Schools to come to this agreement.
That deadline was originally October 1St, but we were not at a point to give the Schools a
confident opinion. They have extended the deadline to October 15th which has given us some
additional time to review our numbers to -date.
We do wish to disclose to the City Council that after further digging and questioning, our
original understanding that our eligible expenses had to be above and beyond our normal
operations is no longer correct. The State has decided that the City can in fact seek
reimbursement for all of its first responder payroll during the COVID-19 period. We originally
were told that only above and beyond due to COVID-19 would qualify, but now all of our
payroll qualifies. Therefore, given the Police, Fire and EMS payroll budgets, the City could in
fact request a sizable amount to receive all of its allotted COVID-19 CRF Program Funding.
Therefore, the Schools request would in fact pull from what the City could receive, but given our
FYI 9/20 Budget came in under, our revenue was consistent with expectations, we can still
receive a sizable amount of funding after assisting the schools, and assisting the schools is a
great partnership to be involved in, this would seem like a good program to pursue. It is our
understanding that the TEA received CRF Program Funding, but the individual schools did not,
therefore they will have to utilize their tax -supported budget to cover their expenses.
BUDGET:
The City was allocated $1,393,150.00 in CRF Program Funding.
The Schools have requested the following amounts:
1. North Lamar ISD
$18,133.00
2. Paris ISD
$87,000.00
3. Chisum ISD
$5,225,00
4. Total
$113,358.00
The City's portion would in fact make up 25% of the total expense with the TEA making up the
other 75%.
1. Approve assisting all the schools using CRF Program Funding and authorize the City
Manager to complete necessary documents.
2. Approve assisting some of the schools using CRF Program Funding and authorize the City
Manager to complete necessary documents.
3. Approve assisting some or all the schools ata different amount of funding than has been
proposed.
4. Do not approve assisting the schools using CRF Program Funding.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve assisting all the schools using CRF Program Funding and authorize the City
Manager to complete necessary documents.
October 12, 2020
Kelli Stewart
Superintendent
North Lamar ISD
3130 N. Main
Paris, TX 75460
Dear Ms. Stewart,
crUIz-1,VPT4 M AA jl
The City of Paris has received the North Lamar ISD's request for funding in the
amount of $18,133.00 to support remote learning capabilities for its students. The
City understands these funds will reimburse the District for expenses incurred
purchasing Wads, hotspots and Chromebooks through the Texas Education
Agency's Operation Connectivity. The City further understands that the Texas
Education Agency agrees to match the local funds dollar for dollar.
The City Council met on October 12, 2020 to review this request and hereby
agrees to commit up to but not to exceed $18,133.00 of its Coronavirus Relief
Fund (CRF) funding to reimburse North Lamar ISD's bulk purchase expenditure.
You will be working with myself and Charles Edwards with Resource
Management & Consulting Co., the City's 3rd Party Administrator, to implement
this partnership.
Sincerely,
Grayson Path
City Manager
CC: Charles Edwards, Resource Management & Consulting Co.
City of Paris CRF Program Funding 3`d Party Administrator
P. 0. BOX 9037 PARIS, TEXAS 75461-9037 (903) 784-9202 FAX (903) 785-8519
October 12, 2020
Paul Jones
Superintendent
Paris ISD
1920 Clarksville Street
Paris, TX 75460
Dear Mr. Jones,
The City of Paris has received the Paris ISD's request for funding in the amount of
$87,000.00 to support remote learning capabilities for its students. The City
understands these funds will reimburse the District for expenses incurred
purchasing hotspots and Chromebooks through the Texas Education Agency's
Operation Connectivity. The City further understands that the Texas Education
Agency agrees to match the local funds dollar for dollar.
The City Council met on October 12, 2020 to review this request and hereby
agrees to commit up to but not to exceed $87,000.00 of its Coronavirus Relief
Fund (CRF) funding to reimburse Paris ISD's bulk purchase expenditure. You will
be working with myself and Charles Edwards with Resource Management &
Consulting Co., the City's 31 Party Administrator, to implement this partnership.
Sincerely,
Grayson Path
City Manager
CC: Charles Edwards, Resource Management & Consulting Co.
City of Paris CRF Program Funding 3rd Party Administrator
P. 0. BOX 9037 PARIS, TEXAS 75461-9037 (903) 784-9202 FAX (903) 785-8519
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tommy Chalaire
Superintendent
Chisum ISD
3250 S. Church Stre
Paris, TX 75462 1
�1 �- � IT. I
The City of Paris has received the Chisum ISD's request for funding in the amount
of $5,225.00 to support remote learning capabilities for its students. The City
understands these funds will reimburse the District for expenses incurred
1-turchasing hotspots and associated data plan through the Texas Education
Agency's Operation Connectivity. The City further understands that the Texas
Education Agency agrees to match the local funds dollar for dollar.
The City Council met on October 12, 2020 to review this request and hereby
agrees to commit up to but not to exceed $5,225.00 of its Coronavirus Relief Fund
(CRF) funding to reimburse Chisum ISD's bulk purchase expenditure. You will be
working with myself and Charles Edwards with Resource Management &
Consulting Co., the City's 3" Party Administrator, to implement this partnership.
CC: Charles Edwards, Resource Management & Consulting Co.
City of Paris CRF Program Funding 3rd Party Administrator
P. O. BOX 9037 PARIS, TEXAS 75461-9037 (903) 784-9202 FAX (903) 785-8519