Item:
Title
Further Discussion of Hope (Remote) Learning Centers (30min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: January 4, 2021
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to receive further information from the leadership of the Hope Learning Centers and that they ask any questions they wish.
On August 24th, Durham County approved $405,000 in support for the Hope Learning Centers, a remote learning option for Durham students (contract attached). County funding was primarily to support no-cost placements of students experiencing houselessness, who qualify for free or reduced lunch, have parents in essential jobs, have parents unemployed because of COVID, and/or who are part of the foster care system or live in public housing. County funding was initially only supposed to support these centers for part of the first semester, but due to slower initial enrollment and outside fundraising, the initial County funding sufficed for all of the first semester, which runs through January 15th, 2021.
The Hope Learning Centers are all operating at capacity at this point, as are the remaining three DPS remote learning centers. Though a small number of staff and students associated with the centers have contracted COVID since the centers opened, there is no evidence that any spread occurred at the centers.
At their December 14th, 2020 meeting, the County Commissioners approved $124,000 in additional funding to provide funding for the first two weeks of second semester, which will carry the Hope Learning Centers through the end of January.
It seems fairly clear that all of the alternatives being considered by Durham Public Schools for second semester will not result in a reduced need for remote learning slots. It could be that the availability of transportation through DPS may effectively increase the demand for slots. Based on the overall 2nd semester request presented on Dec. 14th, 2020, the remaining funding gap for the 3rd quarter is $491,000 and for a...
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