School districts face a multitude of unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In hopes of providing you with the necessary resources your District needs, and the opportunity to obtain all the assistance and aid available, our intent is to provide you relevant information specific to FEMA funding available under NY-DR-4480.
Your first step should be to complete your Request for Public Assistance (RPA). This can be found here (click on the 3rd bullet point for a link to the form). You will see the RPA is due within 30 days of the declaration, however, at this time, this funding is in open enrollment with no due date yet.
We at Bonadio have reached out to NYS FEMA representatives and have been actively attending webinars so that we can provide you with as much guidance as possible. The most sought-after information is what will be considered allowable and available for reimbursement through FEMA. Below is a list of items that should be eligible. These items will be contingent upon proper supporting documentation submitted to FEMA, adherence to reporting requirements, and compliance with any procurement procedures, etc.
- Disinfecting/cleaning costs for buildings and busses.
- Signage placed in buildings regarding COVID-19, including instruction on proper sanitation, spread prevention, etc. This may include information shared with food preparation employees, school nurses, etc.
- Supplies and protective equipment items, including but not limited to, gloves, face masks, etc.
- Costs associated with educating/training related to COVID-19.
While our NYS FEMA representatives await confirmation from FEMA on whether these items will be allowable, Districts are being encouraged to track the below items and claim all expenses associated with the project —unless definitive guidance is released arguing otherwise, especially when being incurred due to the result of the District’s compliance with Executive Order. This can include but may not be limited to:
- Distance Learning Costs- This can include the purchase of more equipment (laptops, chrome books). Furthermore, have costs been incurred for workbooks, hard copies to ensure distance learning is continued? Are there costs for mailing or delivering information to students
- Preparation- Packaging, and distribution of meals to those students who otherwise qualify during the school year. Costs associated with this could potentially include:
- Assembly and preparation of the food.
- Packaging the meals in a “to-go” state (could include gloves, to-go boxes, etc.)
- Distribution costs including delivering meals and/or setting up pick-up sites.
- Child care services being provided.
Please note that these are developing issues. The Bonadio Group will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates. If you have questions, please contact your Bonadio team.
The information and advice we are providing for this matter relates to COVID-19 legislative relief measures. Because legislative efforts are still ongoing, we expect that there may be additional guidance and clarification from regulators that could modify some of the advice and information provided to you, after the conclusion of our engagement. We therefore make no warranties, expressed or implied, on the services provided hereunder.
