Dickson County Schools move to hire project manager for using COVID relief funds

Dickson County Schools officials are moving quickly to finalize plans on using nearly $6 million in federal funds from a coronavirus relief package.

The county school board on Thursday approved publicizing a request for companies to bid on handling upcoming construction projects. Schools Director Dr. Danny Weeks said the district has already submitted its plan — districts were required to submit their plans by April — for how it plans to utilize the $5.95 million from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER. 

Weeks said those funds are “going to be coming to us in the very near future that we are going to have to spend very quickly, very carefully and very intentionally." 

"It's going to be important that we have those dollars budgeted, it's going to be important that we can work through issues very quickly,” Weeks said. 

Weeks said the quick turnaround was a major reason a construction manager is needed. Hewlett Spencer, the firm that’s managed the construction of Burns Middle School and renovations at other schools, has done a good job, Weeks said. However, the school attorney Alan Hall felt the board needed to bid the job out again budgeting the federal funds. 

Among the projects Weeks discussed with the board included repairing the Dickson County High School roof, new cafeteria tables, more space for welding at Creek Wood, more bottle-filling stations, and purchasing more hardware, such as the Chromebook laptops used by students. 

"We have some pretty severe roof damage at Dickson County High School that goes beyond the scope of what a roofing repair company can come in and do,” said Weeks, noting that some issues go back to the 1970s. 

"We are going to take the roof off of most of that building, I am afraid,” Weeks said. "We need to get on that the day that school is out." 

The federal funds, which are part known as ESSER 2.0, are one-time funds that expire in 2023. The listed allowable uses for the funds include the following:

-Providing summer learning and supplemental after-school programs.

-Addressing the unique needs of special populations.

-Providing mental health service.

-Purchasing education technology.

-Planning for long-term closures.

-Conducting other activities necessary to maintain operation of services, employ existing staff, and coordinate activities.

Dickson County Schools had previously received just over $1.4 million in ESSER 1.0. 

The state, and Dickson County, are set to receive nearly $2.5 billion in a third round of federal funding for K-12 education through the latest $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.