NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell says several programs that had been previously paid for with federal COVID money, called ESSER funds, will be continuing, even as that federal money dries up.
"The scholars portfolio that included Promising Scholars, I've heard from so many parents that their students got so much out of that," O'Connell said. "We've put a nurse in every school now, which was something we were looking for a long time to do. Public health has been part of that effort for a long time."
But how will those programs be paid for?
Metro Schools and the city have talked about building an ESSER bridge, instead of falling off a funding cliff, to keep the programs running.
At a Metro Schools budget committee meeting in March, Superintendent Adrienne Battle talked about paying for those programs and building that bridge by dipping into the school district's reserve funds.
Metro school leaders and others say they hope to incorporate those programs, like nurses for every school, as part of their recurring budgets in the years going forward.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
