If you want to get into Stanley-Boyd Schools this year, you’ll need to schedule an appointment. Don’t forget the mask. In a year where COVID-19 has changed the global rhythm, it should come as no surprise that there’s a local impact as well—and that includes financially.

“What we’re hearing from Madison is that they’re going to wait until after the election, and then work on it,” district superintendent Jeff Koenig said of the GEERF Grant as part of the CARES Act.

GEERF, which is an acronym standing for Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, refers to $3 billion set aside from the Education Stabilization Fund to be awarded to governor’s offices nationwide based on a 60-40 formula split. Sixty percent of the award will be based on the state’s relative population of individuals aged 5 through 24, while the other forty percent will be awarded according to the relative number of children in the state under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

The federal monies are based on enrollment figures. must be shared between both the public and private schools in the area, meaning that while the general allotment to the area should be $310,000, this won’t all go to one place, but instead be split between different awardees. If that wasn’t enough, transportation aid will also be affected this year by COVID-19, as like everything else it’s based on enrollment.

“Transport aid like everything else is based on the number of kids on the bus,” Koenig said of district funding. With the school district encouraging families not to use district transportation but instead drive students to school or have them walk, the resulting drop in bus ridership has an impact on money for getting kids to school. That doesn’t count the cost of extra precautions being taken along with equipment purchases— speaking of which,

Staff Photo. electronic learning platforms and virtual online school cost more than masks and sanitizer.

“It all adds up in a hurry,” Koenig said of the cost of electronics to the district. So how to pay for it all? Good question. The superintendent had some advice for the school board, and public in general.

“I strongly encourage all of you to contact your legislators,” he said at the school board meeting. A key concession to ask for is for the state to “hold harmless pupil counts,” meaning not to use enrollment numbers when determining aid this year, based on the present realities. Another is to allow retired teachers and staff to return to work without losing retirement, in order to fill potential staffing shortages this year as the district has increased stringency on who can get in the building and who must stay home. Board member Lance Carlson had a question.

“Could you draft a letter that we could all sign?” he asked the superintendent.

“We could,” Koenig replied. The important thing when lobbying is to know your legislators. The Stanley-Boyd District overlaps several different state representative’s areas.

More information on legislators and their contact information is available at legis.wisconsin. gov, including a “Find Your Legislator” tab to search by address for the right representative in Senate or Assembly.