City Council votes down ARPA funding for modular classrooms without alternative plan to relieve overcrowded classrooms

By Neil Zolot

The City Council approved millions of dollars of expenditures of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 funds to support the community in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact, but declined to allocate $10 million of the money for modular classrooms at the High School, at their meeting Monday, December 11. Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith noted that the Council had voted last year and earlier this year not to fund the modules. “I’d request we cut the money,” she said in discussion. “It’s money that could be better spent.”

The modules are intended to alleviate overcrowding at the High School while the city applies for state aid to build a new school – proposed for Rivergreen Playground by Mayor Carlo DeMaria in September. He envisions the new school as a High School, complete with a vocational program, and the present High School as a Middle School, taking Middle School-aged students out of neighborhood K-8 schools.

“We haven’t received the results of a feasibility study,” Ward 2 Councillor Stephanie Martins added. “I appreciate the intent to upgrade without spending taxpayer money, but I’m against spending money we don’t have to. At least in my ward, neighborhoods are against the modules.”

“We haven’t got the study yet,” Councillor-at-Large Richard Dell Isola agreed, before suggesting a reformed Council with new members can revisit the matter next year.

Procedurally, the Council divided the appropriations requests into separate items in order to vote on the modules’ total alone. Councillor-at-Large John Hanlon was the only member to vote for the modules request.

“What other choices do we have besides modules?” Ward 6 Councillor Al Lattanzi asked rhetorically. “If we don’t vote for this, we just have to wait it out, but we have to do something about overcrowding.”

It could be years before DeMaria’s vision is realized, from approval by the Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA), their feasibility study, siting, design, awarding contracts and construction. Overcrowding might not be an issue by then because student populations rise and fall. Regardless, Everett has one of the very few school systems with K-8 neighborhood schools and no Middle School.

Separately, the Council approved $4.3 million for public health programs, $3.7 million for housing assistance, $1.3 million for education and childcare assistance, $1 million for food assistance, $880,000 for parks and recreation and $750,000 for economic recovery and assistance.

The $21.9 million under consideration is part of $47.1 million Everett received through ARPA. Nationally $1.9 trillion was appropriated, with $365 billion going to Massachusetts. Eligible uses include supporting public health expenditures, including medical expenses, behavioral healthcare and some public health and safety staff; addressing negative economic impacts, including nonprofit organizations, small businesses and the public sector; replacing lost public revenue, including funding to provide public service to the extent of reduction due to the pandemic; premium pay for eligible workers, including grants to eligible workers who provide essential work; and infrastructure improvements, including clean drinking water and broadband expansion. “This is about looking at needs to address areas without taxing; how we take this money to address issues and not put a burden on our budget,” Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director Cathy Draine said.

Ineligible uses are statutory restrictions, including offering a reduction in net tax revenue and deposits to pension funds; debt service or replenishing financial reserves, uses that conflict or contravene the purpose of ARPA, including expenditures that undermine mitigation efforts; conflicts with laws and regulations and conflict-of-interest requirements.

Funds were awarded to the city in May 2021. There is a December 31, 2024, deadline for obligation of funds and a December 31, 2026, deadline for expenditure of funds. Other items – including $10 million to purchase the Devens School from a private developer that bought it years ago and leased it to the city to house Special Education programs and $1 million for youth program initiatives – were approved at other meetings.

On October 10, consultant Answer Advisory’s Project Director Desi Navarro explained the aid package to the members, including that aid for eligible workers was lifted in April. “Anything before April 10 is still eligible,” he said.

Much of the aid will be distributed through community organizations, which Navarro said “understand the needs of the community.” He added that citizen advisory panels will scrutinize specific requests to determine if they “make sense.” For instance, money slated for infrastructure improvements might be vetoed if other city expenditures are covering it.

These sub-recipients, as Navarro called them, will be subject to additional scrutiny as to if the money is being spent as intended and if they have the resources necessary to spend the money as intended. “Sub-recipients will have to define their plan and staff, including checkpoints,” Navarro said. “If they’re not spending within guidelines, the money is taken back and reallocated. Sub-recipients will have specific reporting requirements; they’ll have to report back to the city. In the sub-recipient agreement, you have the ability to determine if they have attended meeting sessions and an out to say they’re not meeting requirements. Money not spent goes back to the federal treasury.”

Not all businesses will be eligible for economic recovery aid. “It’s not everybody, just the businesses Treasury says are eligible,” Navarro explained.