Finance Department
Nathan Kuder, Chief Financial Officer
2300 Washington Street nkuder@bostonpublicschools.org
Roxbury, Massachusetts 02119 617-635-9069 bostonpublicschools.org
Boston Public Schools Boston School Committee City of Boston
Mary Skipper, Superintendent Jeri Robinson, Chair Michelle Wu, Mayor
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Chairperson and Members
Boston School Committee
FROM: Nathan Kuder
Chief Financial Officer
SUBJECT: Grants for Approval
DATE: November 16, 2022
Attached please find the grants for approval by the School Committee on November 16, 2022. Full
copies of the grant proposals are available for your review and have been filed with the Office of the
Secretary to the S
c
hool Committee.
GRANTS FOR SCHOOL COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Amount
FY
Grant Name
Status
Fund Manager
Sites
$300,000
2023
Early College Support Grants FC460
New
Lydia Emmons
College & Career
Readiness
5 Sites
$347,940
2023
American Rescue Plan- Homeless
Children & Youth II -FC302
Increase
Brian Marques
At Risk
Districtwide
$19,665
2023
MassStep: Medical Assistant FC671
Increase
Kristen D’Avolio
Career & Tech
Madison Park
$15,411,815
2023
Improving Ventilation & Air Quality
(IVAQ) -FC209
New
Katherine Walsh
HVAC
5 Sites
$16,079,420
Total
SCHOOL COMMITTEE ACCEPTANCE FORM – BPS23623
Grant Name: Early College Support Grants
Status: New
Grant Type: Entitlement
Start & End Dates: 9/1/22 - 8/30/23
Funding Source: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Grantor Contact: Kristin Hunt
Grantor Address: 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA
Grantor Phone: (781) 338-3000
Grantor Email: Kristin.E.Hunt@mass.gov
Lead BPS Department and/or School(s): Office of Secondary Schools
Charlestown High School
Dearborn STEM Academy
Fenway High School
Madison Park Technical Vocational High School
New Mission High School
BPS Program Manager: Lydia Emmons, Director of Early College Programs
Department Head/School Leader:
Charlestown High School, Ajay Trivedi
Dearborn STEM Academy, Darlene Marcano
Fenway High School, Geoffrey Walker
Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, Dr. Sidney Brown
New Mission High School, Will Thomas
Annual Award Amount: $300,000
Carry-forward option: No
Approximate # of students (or teachers, central office staff) served: 318
How are these sites chosen?: Current Designated Early College Programs
Key External Partners (if any):
University of Massachusetts Boston
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Bunker Hill Community College
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology
Purpose:
Through Early College Support Grant DESE provides implementation support to existing Early College programs. This support
funds staff capacity, instructional materials, transportation, and planning stipends across 5 secondary schools and ensures high
quality program delivery.
Desired Outcomes:
1. Increase enrollment into High Quality Early College Pathways at Charlestown High School, Dearborn STEM Academy,
Fenway High School, Madison Park Vocational Technical High School and New Mission HS.
2. Increase the number of students graduating from high school with at least 12 highly transferable college credits
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART) Goals
Goal #1: Enroll an additional cohort of Early College students at each participating high school by 12/22 increasing enrollment from
183 in SY22 to 318 in SY 23.
Indicator: October SIMS Data
Goal #2: Ensure 75% of senior Early College cohort graduate with a minimum of 12 college credits in June 2023
Indicator: DESE Senior credit tracker and DHE HEIRS data analysis
Please specify how this grant aligns with the district’s 20/25 Strategic Vision’s Commitment (s) and Priority(s). Please List them
below: (see attached – go to (page 59)
Early College pathways provide relevant, authentic and immersive education to all of our students. Through these programs we seek
to increase access to college coursework for Boston Public Schools students and reduce the time and cost of a first credential of
value. This directly aligns with the district's 20/25 Strategic Vision as it creates equitable opportunities for young people to pursue
high quality college and career pathways
Accelerate Learning 2.1 “Redesign Secondary Schools”- in coordination with the “Accelerate Learning” commitment and priority
identified in the 20/25 Strategic Vision, the Early College programs are expanded over the years so that BPS is always able to offer
rigorous, college coursework to its students.
Active Partnerships 6.4 “Champion college and career awareness” - in coordination with the “Active Partnerships” commitment and
priority identified in the 20/25 Strategic Vision, the Early College programs require deep higher ed partnerships that create
opportunities for students to engage in college coursework with embedded wrap around supports.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE ACCEPTANCE FORM – BPS23671
Grant Name: American Rescue Plan-Homeless Children and Youth II FC302
Status: Increase
Grant Type: Allocation
Start & End Dates: 11/1/21 to 8/31/2024
Funding Source: State/Federal/Private/Local (City): Federal through State
Grantor Contact: Sarah Slautterback (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education)
Grantor Address: 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148
Grantor Phone: 781-338-3399
Grantor Email: sslautterback@doe.mass.edu
Lead BPS Department and/or School(s): Department of Opportunity Youth
BPS Program Manager: Brian Marques, Senior Director of Opportunity Youth
Department Head/School Leader: Brian Marques, Senior Director of Opportunity Youth
Annual Award Amount $1,175,885
Increase Amount: $347,940
Total Award Amount 1,523,825
Carry-forward option: Yes
Approximate # of students (or teachers, central office staff) served: 3,700
Sites: All BPS schools
Key External Partners: FamilyAid Boston, Inc., Boston Housing Authority (BHA)
Grant Description:
Recognizing the high cost of living in Boston, and the income restrictions of existing state and city rental assistance programs,
ARP II funding will be used to continue supplementing emergency financial assistance and homelessness prevention services into
FY23 and FY24, as well as associated academic mentoring for our highest priority students from FY22 to FY24. This will be critical
as families continue to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the years to come. Case management services will be
contracted to support families who do not already have an associated provider or whose emergency costs are not allowable under
existing services. Case managers will work with families to explore existing rental relief and emergency assistance costs as the first
priority and then leverage funding contracted through this grant to provide assistance for other costs.
American Rescue Plan (ARP) II funding will be used to supplement a variety of other funding sources to infuse enhanced
academic and case management services, while addressing key gaps in existing housing stabilization programs to prevent 150 of our
most vulnerable families from falling into homelessness. As the guiding vision throughout all of these efforts, BPS applies an anti-
racist lens to ensure that culturally and linguistically sustaining practices are imbedded to meet the individual needs of students and
families.
Expense Categories this Grant Pays For
The ARP II grant will be used to contract critical case management, homelessness prevention, housing search and wraparound
services to prevent precariously housed students and families from falling into homelessness, while assisting those currently
experiencing homelessness to navigate Boston’s shelter and housing stability systems. This funding will allow BPS to restart
upstream homelessness prevention services, while sustaining the initiative for a three-year period. In addition, this funding will be
used to supplement, not supplant, a variety of federal, city and state resources. BPS, in collaboration with other city and state
agencies, is coordinating a range of funding sources to maximize impact for precariously housed students and families.
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART) Goals
Goal #1: Provide dedicated homelessness prevention and emergency assistance services and case management that supplement, not
supplant, existing city and state programs.
Indicators:
● Number of students and families referred into housing voucher program
● Number of students and families housed
● Number of students and families referred into homelessness prevention services
● Academic outcomes for stably housed students
Goal #2: Complement ongoing shelter and housing access professional development series with easy-to-access, dedicated in-district
referral systems and contracted case management and housing stabilization services.
Indicators:
● Number of School-based Homeless Liaisons to participate in the workshops
● Active participation and engagement in the workshops
● Workshop evaluation form responses and ratings
● Attendance rate and chronic absenteeism rate for students experiencing homelessness (housing stability as a means to
educational stability)
● Number of referrals to BPS housing stability partners and programs
Please specify how this grant aligns with the district’s 20/25 Strategic Vision’s Commitment (s) and Priority(s). Please List
them below: (see attached – go to (page 59)
The ARP II grant aligns with the following Strategic Vision Commitments:
● 1.8 Develop capacity to address health and social contributors to opportunity gaps, such as - hunger, chronic illness, mental
health, sexual health, homelessness, and LGBTQ+ identity.
○ Through community partnerships, funded programming provides wraparound services and support to address
hunger, chronic illness, mental health and homelessness.
● 4.5 Ensure that every BPS school and central office department collaborates with families, local youth- and family-focused
partners and service agencies to ensure family awareness of and access to the resources they need to support student growth
inside and outside the classroom.
○ Partnering with youth- and family-focused agencies to ensure family awareness of and access to resources that will
remove barriers, enhance educational stability and support student growth inside and outside of the classroom.
● 6.5 Engage key partners in decision-making in order to guide and develop coherent yea- round wraparound services, and
learning experiences and programming for students.
○ This initiative engages inter-agency partners in the decision-making process to help guide and develop coherent
year-round wraparound services and programming for precariously housed students, one of our most vulnerable
student populations.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE ACCEPTANCE FORM – BPS23687
Grant Name: MassStep: Medical Assistant
Status: Increase
Grant Type: Competitive
Start & End Dates: 10/3/22 to 08/31/2023
Funding Source: DESE
Grantor Contact: Derek Kalchbrenner
ESE/ACLS Educational Specialist
derek.kalchbrenner2@state.ma.us
Lead BPS Department and/or School(s): Department of Adult Education
BPS Fund Manager: Serge Andre, CTE Director
Department Head/School Leader: Kristen D’Avolio, Senior Director
Original Award Amount: $84,903 (approved by SC previously)
Increase amount: $19,665
Total Award Amount $104,568
Carry-forward option: No
Approximate # of students: 14
Sites: Dept. of Adult Education/Boston Central Adult High School at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School Building
Complex
Grant Description
MassSTEP envisions a statewide network of pathways that prepare adult learners for promising careers with dynamic Massachusetts
businesses. It leverages collaborations among education, job training, and employers to build innovative concurrent education and
workforce development opportunities for adult learners. MassSTEP partners work together to create a stronger and more equitable
workforce development system for the Commonwealth. This program will certify 14 Boston residents to become Certified Medical
Assistants in partnership with 4 Boston hospitals.
Expense Categories this Grant Pays For
The grant will be used to pay for a teacher, a clinical director, test costs, chromebooks and supplies. The increase will be used to pay
a part time teacher to co-teach the course and provide additional instructional support to struggling students.
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART) Goals
Goal #1
1
: By August 31, fourteen students will complete the full course and earn related industry credentials.
1
These goals are set by DESE ACLS based on federal NRS data of adult ed students nationwide.
Indicator: Completion of 200 instructional hours, 160 clinical hours, and a passing score on the medical assistant, CPR and First
Aid exams.
Goal #2: By October 2023, 10 students will be employed in an industry related job.
Indicator: Employer affirmation letter or pay stubs.
Goal #3: By June 30th, students will demonstrate academic growth in one core academic class.
Indicator: Score on the DESE mandated MAPT and/or completion of course credit in one or more core content areas.
Strategic Plan Alignment
These goals are tied to the BPS Strategic Goal Number One: Eliminate Opportunity and Achievement Gaps. By supporting Boston’s
adult residents in earning their high school diploma or learning English, BPS Adult Ed serves highly talented students who have been
impacted by social, systemic and social barriers, and racism in and outside of school.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE ACCEPTANCE FORM – BPS23690
Grant Name: Improving Ventilation & Air Quality (IVAQ) - FC 209
Status: New
Grant Type: Competitive
Start & End Dates: FY23-FY26
Funding Source: Federal
Grantor Contact: DESE
Resource Allocation Strategy and Planning
Matthew Deninger
federalgrantprogra[email protected]
Lead BPS Department and/or School(s): Facilities Management
BPS Program Manager: Anthony Pomella, Assistant Director, Mechanical-Engineering; Katherine Walsh, Sustainability, Energy,
and Environment Program Director
Department Head/School Leader: Brian Forde Jr, Executive Director, Facilities Management
Annual Award Amount: Total Award Amount (if grant period more than a year): $15,411,815
Receiving this amount we will be doing this:
FY23 Improving Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality in Boston Public Schools - DESE IVAQ
Grant
Contractual Services (Labor Cost)
$1,750,000
Equipment Purchase
James Otis
$2,086,484
Mather Elementary
$4,582,083
Kenny School
$2,236,493
Taylor School
$3,054,722
Bates Elementary
$1,677,370
Indirect Costs
$24,663
TOTAL
$15,411,815.00
Carry-forward option: Yes
Approximate # of students (or teachers, central office staff) served:
All 5 schools in the project are Title I schools. These schools served 1,792 students during the 2021-2022 school year.
Sites: 5 schools
Building Address
School(s), Welcome Center,
or Community Center
Building
Occupancy
(Students & Staff)
218 Marion Street, East Boston MA
02128
James Otis Elementary School
402
24 Parish St, Dorchester MA 02122
Mather Elementary School
481
10 Oakton Ave, Dorchester MA 02122
Kenny Elementary School
344
1060 Morton St, Mattapan MA 02126
Taylor Elementary School
337
426 Beech St, Roslindale MA 02131
Bates Elementary School
228
How are these sites chosen? Selection order of schools were determined using the BPS Opportunity Index and Racial Equity
Planning Tool to prioritize equity in addition to the school buildings current HVAC status. We have designated every school
building’s HVAC status (building ventilation designation list) as one of three categories:
1) Central HVAC Buildings
2) Operable Windows with Limited Mechanical Ventilation Buildings
3) Operable Windows with No Mechanical Ventilation Buildings.
Only thirty-five BPS school buildings have Central HVAC systems. Ninety-six buildings rely on operable windows as their primary
source of ventilation, with forty-seven of those buildings having some supplementary/limited ventilation, and forty-nine of those
having no mechanical ventilation at all.
The Otis, Kenny, and Taylor are non-mechanically ventilated buildings that rely on operable windows as their source of ventilation.
The Mather and Bates schools with limited/supplementary ventilation that rely on operable windows as their primary source of
ventilation. These five school buildings also will not be able to receive the window air conditioning units.
Key External Partners (if any): DESE; Contractors (TBA) that are selected through the public bid process; Dr. M. Patricia Fabian
Research Group, Boston University; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign; Center for
Green Schools
Priorities: These funds must be used for activities that improve indoor air quality in schools, including improving or adding
mechanical ventilation. BPS will use this funding to secure designer services, bidding assistance, and construction phase services for
projects that install new HVAC systems in 5 BPS school buildings that have limited or no mechanical ventilation - Otis, Mather,
Kenny, Taylor, and Bates. Selection order of the school buildings was determined using the BPS Opportunity Index and Racial
Equity Planning Tool (REPT) to prioritize equity, in addition to the school buildings’ current HVAC statuses.
Purpose: "Children and teachers spend over six hours a day in classrooms during the school year, often in buildings that are decades
old and have inadequate heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, systems." (Patricia Fabian, Jonathan Levy, Boston
University, 10/7/22)
Funding will be used to secure design, bidding assistance, and construction phase services for projects to install new HVAC systems
in 5 BPS school buildings that have limited or no mechanical ventilation - Otis, Mather, Kenny, Taylor, Bates.
The COVID-19 pandemic only further exacerbated a well-known fact about K-12 school buildings, which is that the presence and
use of mechanical ventilation is a critical strategy in a risk-reduction layered approach to improving the indoor air quality and
environmental health of school buildings. Improved indoor air quality correlates to improved student learning outcomes, attention,
and alertness, and staff cognitive performance, and decreases in disease transmission, asthma incidents, absenteeism, etc.
Boston Public Schools is currently on the forefront of IAQ in schools due to its work during the pandemic, particularly the
implementation of its innovative IAQ Monitoring Initiative with public dashboard and our existing, multi-layered IAQ Management
Plan. (Learn more here and here.) In the last 9 months alone, we have been invited to present our work to the White House Office of
Science and Technology Policy and the White House COVID-19 Taskforce, the U.S. EPA, the National Caucus of Environmental
Legislators, the Environmental Law Institute, state public health officials in WA and CA, UK scientists and policymakers with
TAPAS, and more, influencing international, federal, and state educational resources, funding, and regulations for improving IAQ in
schools. The next most appropriate step for our work, and currently the most critical, missing strategy to our leading multilayered
IAQ Management Plan, is to invest in mechanical ventilation in our schools, prioritizing those school buildings with no or limited
mechanical ventilation.
Desired Outcomes: Funding will be used to secure designer services, bidding assistance, and construction phase services for
projects that install new HVAC systems in 5 BPS school buildings that have limited or no mechanical ventilation - Otis, Mather,
Kenny, Taylor, and Bates.
Metrics, such as ventilation rates, fresh air intakes, air exchange rates, filtration rates, will be measured using a variety of existing
and planned strategies. For example, CO2 levels, which are used to measure adequate ventilation rates in an occupied space, CO,
PM2.5, PM10, Temperature, and Relative Humidity will be measured and publicly reported by the BPS IAQ Monitoring Initiative.
Annual HVAC assessments will also be conducted and findings reported, along with ongoing repairs and maintenance performed by
the mechanical contract.
Investing in new HVAC systems in BPS school buildings will also help BPS not close these buildings due to extreme heat or cold
events, as closing schools can result in further learning loss for our students. With new HVAC systems, operable windows can
become supplementary sources of ventilation, rather than serving as the primary source of ventilation. Our spring 2021 district-wide
ACH testing demonstrated that relying on operable windows for air exchanges is more unpredictable than mechanical ventilation,
due to weather conditions, wind speed, and wind direction, resulting in inequities for ventilation across the district. New HVAC
investments would provide more consistency and automated or manual control over ventilation rates across all buildings and
classrooms. It would also allow us to add filtration, such as MERV-13s, to assist with mitigating disease transmission, mold, pollen,
and outdoor air pollution.
Once enough data is available, building occupant health outcomes and absentee rates can also be analyzed and reported as metrics,
with expected improved health outcomes due to mechanical ventilation investments. We are currently partnering with Boston
University on an approved research study “Understanding indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and energy use in classrooms, and the
impact of SARS-CoV-2 engineering controls, a pilot study.”, using the data from our IAQ Monitoring initiative. In addition to
analyzing the data so it can be used to make investments and improvements in our buildings, Boston University is helping us develop
IAQ educational and communications materials for the BPS community.
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART) Goals
Goal #1: Provide modern Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to 5 schools that currently lack these systems
or need additional systems and repairs.
Indicator: Confirmed using Industry Standard Indoor Air Quality and HVAC measurables.
Goal #2: Provide year-round classroom space conditioning, ventilation, and comfort.
Indicator: Comfortable classrooms for BPS Community, and improved learning environments.
Goal #3: Record and analyze IAQ parameter improvements due to new HVAC systems
Indicator: IAQ sensors in classrooms are connected to the public IAQ dashboard and data is analyzed and reported by BPS Facilities
Management. IAQ sensors are also connected to the BMS to assist with automation of HVAC in response to elevated levels.
Goal #4: Communicate to and educate 5 school communities about the new HVAC investments and the relationship to indoor air
quality.
Indicator: Inclusive, equitable communication materials and engagement strategies are developed and shared with the 5 school
communities, with built-in opportunities for feedback and two-way communications. Materials will be developed and distributed in
partnership with Boston University, BPS Communications, the school leaders, and family site councils.
Please specify how this grant aligns with the district’s 20/25 Strategic Vision’s Commitment (s) and Priority(s). Please List them
below: (see attached – go to (page 59)
● ACCELERATE LEARNING - High-quality schools and joyful classrooms district-wide
● AMPLIFY ALL VOICES - Shared decision-making, partnerships and mutual accountability
● EXPAND OPPORTUNITY - Fair and equitable funding and welcoming environments
● CULTIVATE TRUST - Caring and competent staff that reflect our students and are focused on service
● ACTIVATE PARTNERSHIPS - Expand learning beyond the classroom and connect the community to the classroom