City school officials have a lot of money to spend. Cranston was awarded $20 million in ESSER III, and the district has only spent $700,000. Assistant Superintendent of Schools Norma Cole updated the School Committee Aug. 9 on the districts credit recovery and learning programs and gave them a look at how the district plans to use Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding this school year.

Over the break, 490 high schoolers took advantage of credit recovery opportunities while 451 students from kindergarten through eighth grade took part in the district’s Bridge Program or MLL English class; money for these opportunities come from ESSER.

“I think we’ve done a pretty good job trying to address the gaps that kids have had,” said Cole. “I visited the programs at East and West and the kids were very positive about the experience.”

She added that some students were able to do some credit recovery during the last semester they were in school — as long as they had time in their program of studies; the district had hired several retired folks to visit East and West to work with those students.

CPS held the kindergarten through grade four programs at two elementary schools — these included students who, based on their STAR reading and math scores, needed extra help. Buses stopped at elementary schools around the district to pick up kids and, after the kids attended that program, there would be a camp for them the second half of the day.

AThe funds are broken into different buckets including back to school events, extended learning, universal screening, student transition and digital divide. Cole said the district pretty much has the same types of programs planned for the next school year. They will start with welcome back packets for kids.

The district wants to address attendance to get kids engaged and coming to school regularly since absenteeism has been an issue.

The funds will go toward school events, after school program transportation, CTE medical pathways supplies, scholarships for summer camps and social emotional screening tracking; the district is also looking at implementing a reward system for kids coming to school and for good behavior.

Citywide School Committee member Michael Traficante asked the cost of the after-school transportation. Cole said the costs cover four buses at $600 a week for 31 weeks for a total of $75,000.

The district will also use the funds to pay for teachers’ after school LETRs training. Cole said there was a push for teachers to take the training during the day, but the district pushed back because there wouldn’t be staff to teach students.

CPS updated its curricula for kindergarten through grade 12 based on RIDE and other requirements. The district will be working on science and social studies next.

“We’ve also been able to purchase programs that would’ve taken us years to be able to purchase because of their cost,” Cole said.