Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Executive Director of Mayor’s Office of Education to modify a grant agreement authorized by ordinance 1390-2021, with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio (WDBCO), to modify the original scope of work and extend the contract to August 31, 2024
Original Grant/encumbered $ 5,855,232.00
Amount allocated $3,000,000.00
Amount spent $1,348,791.00
WDBCO balance $1,651,209.00
Encumbered balance $2,355,232.00
Ordinance 1201-2021 authorized the City of Columbus to accept and appropriate approximately $187,030,138.00 of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as signed into law by the President of the United States on March 11, 2021.
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. WDBCO will contract 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, WDBCO invoiced the City for, and received $3,000,000.00. Of this, only $1,348,791.00 was spent. A balance of $1,651,209.00 and $2,355,232.00 remains encumbered.
Unfortunately, another consequence of the pandemic has been realized: the number of current high school and college students planning to pursue or continue their higher education has reduced dramatically. According to IKIC, only 34 percent of 2020-2021 CCS graduates enrolled in any type of educational programming and current year seniors are not meeting important postsecondary milestones.
Modification is needed to increase the depth and breadth of the college and career readiness services provided to CCS classes of 2022 and 2023 as well as provide college retention support to graduates who, with ongoing pandemic concerns, are at risk for stopping out due to financial constraints, increased anxiety, and decreased motivation.
Emergency Designation: Emergency designation is requested to ensure that the funding can be provided to the WDBCO and IKIC as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding is provided to the City of Columbus from the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress and signed into law March 11, 2021.
Title
To authorize and direct the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Education to modify a grant agreement with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio to increase the college and career readiness of current, past, and future Columbus City Schools Seniors; to authorize the expenditure of up to $2,355,232.00 from the Recovery Fund already encumbered by ordinance 1390-2021; to allow the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio to spend $1,651,209.00 already allocated to them, but unspent, by ordinance 1390-2021: and to declare an emergency. ($2,355,232.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio (WDBCO) is a non-profit with a focus on partners with area businesses and organizations on workforce needs so that people are fully employed at their ability and potential in the thriving Central Ohio economy; and
WHEREAS, 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; and
WHEREAS, funding is needed to increase the college and career readiness of current, past, and future Columbus City Schools Seniors; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the number of current high school and college students planning to pursue or continue their higher education; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure of American Rescue Plan funding for The Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio and I Know I Can, both not for profit entities, is crucial for our economic recovery, necessary due to the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditure of funds has not been previously accounted for in the 2022 Budget; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Mayor's Office of Education in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to modify a grant agreement with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio to continue vital support of career and college readiness programs, all for the preservation of public health, peace, property, and safety;
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Education is hereby authorized to modify a grant agreement with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio in support of career and college readiness programs for current, past, and future Columbus City Schools Seniors.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of up to $2,355,232.00 be and is hereby authorized as follows (see attachment 1180-2022):
Dept/Div: 40 | Obj Class:03 | Main Account: 63920 | Fund: 2209 | Sub-fund: 220902 | Program: CW401 | Amount: $2,355,232.00
SECTION 3. 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 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby 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.