Trumbull Projects $2 Million+ Cost For Coronavirus School Opening

CONNECTICUT — Trumbull school administrators project that the total cost to reopen schools during the coronavirus pandemic will be more than $2 million.

Trumbull school administrators originally applied for more than $5 million in Coronavirus Relief Fund money from the state to support in-person learning. The state approved $2.1 million. At the time Acting Superintendent Ralph Iassogna wisely applied for as much grant money as possible since the exact costs of reopening schools in the middle of a pandemic weren’t known, Superintendent Martin Semmel said.

“We do not plan on spending any more than the $2.1 million identified here,” Semmel said during a Board of Finance meeting.

Gov. Ned Lamont allocated $160 million from Connecticut’s share of the Coronavirus Relief Fund to go to safely reopening schools. Connecticut also received $111 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds.

To date the school system has spent around $500,000 on coronavirus-related expenses, Business Administrator Paul Hendrickson told the Board of Finance.

Some anticipated costs came in much lower than expected, Hendrickson said. Around $800,000 was projected for increased transportation costs, but in the end the school system didn’t need it and the state allowed Trumbull to reallocate the money for other expenses.

Trumbull received around $127,000 in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief grants, which was used to purchase more than 500 Chromebooks for students.

Much of the extra school costs are related to staffing, personal protective equipment and equipment upgrades.

Around $157,000 of the projected cost is going to extra salary expenses such as substitute teachers and substitute paraprofessionals. Another $80,000 will go to increased custodial manpower to clean schools.

PPE and cleaning supplies are projected to cost $736,000.

More than $700,000 is going to upgrade equipment at schools including HVAC, touchless toilets and faucets and radios to increase communication between school buildings.