Pattonville is receiving a second round of federal COVID-19 relief funds to support schools being operational during the global pandemic. Pattonville is using the federal funds to support its health and safety mitigation efforts in its schools.

During the initial round of COVID-19 funding last summer, Pattonville received $570,000. This initial round of funding was used to upgrade student devices at the high school a year earlier than anticipated to ensure students had reliable technology for the virtual start to the school year.

The newest round of COVID-19 funding provided Pattonville with $3.2 million for its health and safety efforts as well as the extraordinary expenses and lost revenues the district has seen due to the pandemic. As Pattonville prepared to return to phase 1 (in-person learning, five days a week), district leaders reached out to school administrators to seek their needs to assist with safety measures and enhance the schools’ ability to maintain smaller class sizes and physical distancing. Additional teachers, paraprofessionals and long-term substitute support was being added to address school-specific staffing needs during phase 1. In addition, the district is also adding classroom furniture that supports physical distancing. The district is also using federal funds to purchase needlepoint bipolar ionization systems to enhance its ability to purify and disinfect air in its school buildings. A summary of additional expenses and lost revenues the district has experienced is shown below.