Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Education to modify a grant agreement authorized by ordinances 1390-2021, 1180-2022, and 2002-2023, with ASPYR (formerly Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio - WDBCO), to extend the agreement to December 31, 2026, and to allow them to use funds to help Columbus students to prepare for, and complete, their post-secondary education, as well as plan for their career goals.
For 33 years, I Know I Can (IKIC), a not-for-profit organization, has been the anchor organization for college access in Columbus, with recent expansion into additional Franklin County districts. IKIC achieves its mission, “to inspire, enable, and support Columbus students to pursue and complete a college education,” by focusing service efforts around three critical junctures for students: early awareness of college and career opportunities, postsecondary access, as well as summer melt prevention and postsecondary persistence. ASPYR contracted with I Know I Can to administer this initiative.
Due to COVID-19, in the 2020-2021 school year, many Columbus City Schools (CCS) students had not acquired enough credits to graduate high school or matriculate to the next grade level. Ordinance 1390-2021 provided crucial funding for Summer JAM: a collaborative initiative to assist students with acquiring high school credits and provided them summer employment and other programming.
Of the $5,855,232.80 encumbered by ordinance 1390-2021, ASPYR invoiced the City for, and received $3,000,000.00. Of this, only $1,348,791.00 was spent during the initial contracted period. WDBCO retained a balance of $1,651,209.00, $500,000.00 was re-appropriated by the City and $2,355,232.00 remains encumbered at the City.
ORD. 1390-2021
Original Grant/encumbered $5,855,232.00
Amount allocated $3,000,000.00
Amount spent $1,348,791.00
ASPYR balance $1,651,209.00
Re-appropriated $500,000.00
Encumbered balance $2,355,232.00
Because of this, Ordinance 1180-2022 authorized the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Education to modify the original agreement, to increase the depth and breadth of the college and career readiness services provided to CCS classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 as well as provide college retention support to graduates who, with ongoing pandemic concerns, were at risk for dropping out due to financial constraints, increased anxiety, and decreased motivation.
The updated terms set August 31, 2023 as the deadline for ASPYR to utilize the $1,651,209.00 in previously disbursed funds, and August 31, 2024 as the deadline to allocate the remaining $2,355,232.00 encumbered by the City. ASPYR began applying these resources toward the expanded scope of services; however, portions of both the disbursed funds and the City-encumbered funds remained unspent after August 31, 2024
ORD. 1180-2022
ASPYR balance $1,651,209.00
Encumbered balance $2,355,232.00
In 2023, ASPYR again sought to modify and extend the agreement to continue the existing work and amend the scope of work to allow the outfitting a mobile service unit for postsecondary and career outreach in the Columbus community. Ordinance 2002-2023 was approved by City Council on October 19, 2023, allowing the expanded work to continue until December 31, 2025.
ORD. 2002-2023
ASPYR balance $1,651,209.00
Encumbered balance $2,355,232.00
ASPYR began again applying these resources toward the expanded scope of services and was able to allocate all of the previously disbursed funds and $1,000,000.00 0f the City-encumbered funds. However, $1,355, 232.00 of the City-encumbered funds remained unspent.
ORD. 3243-2025
ASPYR balance $0.00
Encumbered balance $1,355,232.00
Therefore, the Office of Education requests the authority to extend the deadlines of the existing agreement to December 31, 2026, to provide ASPYR and IKIC time complete the tasks identified in the new scope of work, to allow ASPYR and IKIC to continue to work on the tasks associated with the previous scopes of work.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no new funding associated with this ordinance. The original funding was provided to the City of Columbus from the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress and signed into law March 11, 2021.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency designation is requested to enable the work to continue and students to continue to be served.
Title
To authorize and direct the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Education to modify a grant agreement with ASPYR (formerly the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio - WDBCO), to extend the deadlines of the existing agreement authorized by Ordinance 2002-2023 to December 31, 2026; to allow ASPYR and IKIC to continue to work on the tasks associated with previous scopes of work; and to declare an emergency. (0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Office of Education partnered with ASPYR and I Know I Can in 2021 to provide college and career preparation and persistence assistance to Columbus students, struggling due to the COVID-19 Pandemic (1390-2021); and
WHEREAS, as the need for this work continued, and as the needs of Columbus students evolved and multiplied; and
WHEREAS, despite the need of Columbus students, and despite the great work done by ASPYR, I Know I Can, and partners, certain funds remained unspent; and
WHEREAS, Ordinances 1180-2022 allowed ASPYR to both expand the original scope of work and extend the deadline for the work to be done; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 2002-2023 again extended the grant agreement and allowed work to be done to December 31, 2025; and
WHEREAS; though the previously allocated funds were utilized, for various reasons, a portion of City-encumbered funds remain unspent t; and
WHEREAS, the College and career readiness, and college persistence of Columbus students remain a priority; and
WHEREAS, the needs of Columbus students continue to emerge, evolve, and increase; and
WHEREAS, ASPYR and IKIC are still uniquely positioned to assist these students; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Office of Education in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to modify an existing grant agreement with ASPYR to extend the deadlines of the existing agreement authorized by Ordinance 2002-2023 to December 31, 2026; to allow ASPYR and IKIC to continue to work on the tasks associated with previous scopes of work, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Education is hereby authorized modify a grant agreement with ASPYR, to extend the deadlines of the existing agreement authorized by Ordinance 2002-2023 to December 31, 2026; to allow ASPYR and IKIC to continue to work on the tasks associated with previous scopes of work.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is herby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.