By Marlisa Harding

mharding@americanpress.com

The Lake Charles Charter Schools have utilized CARES Act funds to support learning amidst COVID-19. Lake Charles Charter Academy received $350,000 from the funds, Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy $296,324 and Lake Charles College Prep received $170,665.

Henry Mancuso, acting superintendent, said the funds have been especially helpful because crippled school systems have a ripple effect on the community. “One of the unique things about the educational system is that it impacts so many people and such a large portion of our population— not only the students and teachers in the classroom, but the parents of the students. The CARES Act money really did provide the means for us to get schools to open as quickly as possible…So, a major part of our population has really been served by the CARES Act money.”

Mancuso said the Charter schools used part of their funds to focus on technology. “We wanted to, as the state and federal government wanted, to ensure students of lower financial means would be able to have computers, iPads and hot spots,” he said.

LCCA purchased 275 laptops and 100 iPads allowing students to check the devices out for home use. Online curriculum, technology to stream live lessons and health safety equipment were also purchased by LCCA, he said.

SWLCA used the majority of its funds for “connectivity” including computers and hotspots. Personal protective gear and sanitizing products were also purchased with the funds.

LCCP purchased 286 Chromebooks with its funds along with 121 hotspots. “With the equipment that we already had, every students, certainly ones who needed it, were able to one (a device).”

The high school also used its funds to purchase a thermal camera that reads body temperature through thermal imaging. “That allows for up to 50 temperatures at a time. (It) speeds up the check in process significantly,” he said.

The Lake Charles Charter Schools are looking forward to the next round of expected funding, he added. An enhanced summer school experience is among the system’s plans for expenditure.

“We’re certainly already beginning to think we will offer one or two weeks of remedial or additional work for parents and students who feel like because we were closed for so long they may not have learned everything they could have…A boot camp type of thing,” he said.

Additional the Charter system is also considering an optional, early start for teachers and students to prepare for the fall semester. “If we want in August, before school starts, we will have the funds to hire teachers to prepare students for when it open in August. I think both of those expenditures are going to be very, very beneficial.”