Pine City School District Receives $3 Million in Federal and Pandemic Relief Funding

From the Pine City School District:

This week, Pine City Public Schools received notification that more than $3 million in unclaimed funding will be awarded to the school district. The funds are Federal Title I, II, and IV funds plus COVID relief funds specifically available to assist school districts with the disruption to learning due to the pandemic.

In February, the School Board contracted with School Management Systems (SMS) to fill vacancies in the business office due to recent resignations. They discovered some applications had not been filed. There are a number of school districts in Minnesota who had not completed financial applications to secure the federal and state funding available to schools. The process for application for the federal funding is complex, and School Management Services brought expertise to the process and secured the funding that rightfully belongs to our schools and our students.

The federal and state dollars will enhance opportunities for our students including additional mental health support, increased extended learning opportunities (summer school and enrichment programs), increased professional development opportunities, site furnishings, and much more. A full presentation of the funding will be presented to the School Board at it’s March 14 Regular Meeting.

“The past two years have been difficult for school staff and teachers,” said Superintendent Foley. “Back in March 2020, schools were given only two weeks to change all of their processes —from lunch rooms to grab-and-go meals and from in class instruction to distance learning. The disruption has been exhausting for everyone involved. We have been through very difficult changes. We are grateful that School Management Systems was able to secure this funding by completing applications before it was too late. Our students and staff will benefit greatly.”

The grant applications, budgets and tracking are fully aligned with Minnesota Department of Education and state accounting requirements, setting the stage for a successful district audit in the future. The District is well-positioned to be on track moving forward with setting the annual budget and meeting important audit timelines.

The administration and staff will work with School Management Systems to implement the new possibilities for our district in the days ahead.

It is a great day to be a Dragon!