BONNERS FERRY — Boundary County School District used a combination of federal and forest funds for capital improvement projects at Mt. Hall and Naples elementary schools.

Superintendent Jan Bayer told the Bonners Ferry Herald that BCSD received approval to use Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund payments for capital projects, including plumbing, remodeling and renovation at Mt. Hall and Naples elementary schools.

As part of the renovations, the offices at the schools have been relocated to the front of the building to help monitor who is coming and going, Bayer said,

$122 billion in ESSER funds have been set aside to help schools across the country open post-COVID-19. The funding is for expenses that reduce the impacts of COVID-19 on students by the purchases of funds for learning loss, health screening tools and additional resources to address the mental well-being of students impacted by the isolation of the lockdown.

BCSD has used these funds to purchase updated HVAC systems at the Bonners Ferry High School. Bayer said that by having clean air and updated systems that the district will be better able to fight COVID-19 and other illnesses.

She added that this HVAC purchase and other purchases for student and employee health would not have been possible without these federal funds.

Trustee Teresa Rae said at the last board meeting that the plumbing quote for Mt. Hall was originally $350,000, but after inflation the cost increased to $750,000. She added that is the price to fix the plumbing of a 70-year-old school.

Bayer said ESSER funds are key to reducing the proposed school bond from the price recommended by the facility committee.

Bayer said that improvements or building a new Valley View Elementary was too expensive a project for the ESSER II and III funds. She added BCSD continuously makes strides in safety for students in staff whether that is sanitary or security related.

A total of $266,579 forest funds and unappreciated funds have been spent for the projects at Naples and Mt. Hall.

Bayer said all forest funds received for the year are being used for these projects. In the past, BCAS has put the forest funds in a contingency fund, but the board has committed for this year's funds to be used in capital improvement projects. So far $500,000 has been spent this year on such projects.

Projects this large of a scale in the summer are not common to BCSD, Bayer said. BCSD will have to build back up the contingency fund after using large lump sums for repairs.

BF Builders won the bid for the projects.

“We are blessed to have BF Builders,” Bayer said, adding that having a local contractor that cares about taxpayers dollars and is invested in the community is wonderful.

BCSD plans to make more purchases through ESSER dollars in the next year to improve HVAC at the middle school and a new boiler at BFHS. About $800,000 of ESSER dollars has to be spent on learning loss.

Bayer said that these funds will go toward math intervention curriculum, but it must first go through the curriculum committee which includes members of the community.

The next regular BCSD board meeting is scheduled for July 18 at 6 p.m. at the district office, 7188 Oak St., Bonners Ferry.