Grants - Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union Central Office

Staff Members

Each year, OSSU and its schools receive millions of dollars in grant revenue. The funding sources are federal, state, and local/private. The grants are awarded through a mixture of competitive and formula-based processes. Many of the grants are limited to a single fiscal year, though there are multi-year exceptions. Additionally, the majority of the grants received are targeted for specific uses, and in some cases, specific schools. The Consolidated Federal Programs grants, our largest pool outside of COVID-relief funds, capture all Title funding and are designed to ensure we are allocating resources equitably across all schools and for all students.

In FY25, OSSU and member districts combined received more than $2.1 million in grant funding. The accompanying list encompasses all sources supporting OSSU and its schools for the year. There is a brief description of the program or fund purpose. Dollar amounts, unless otherwise noted, are direct grant-funded fiscal year expenditures. For any questions or additional clarification, please contact Annie Houston, Director of Finance, at ahouston@ossu.org.

FY25 Grants

Act 230 · $ 5,192.00

Act 230 funds support the training of school personnel in providing education services to students requiring academic and/or social, emotional, and behavioral supports.

Act 67 Community Schools · $ 28,341.03

Act 67 Community Schools Funds support the Community Schools Initiative at Hazen Union, increasing student and community supports and integration.

ARP ESSER · $ 503,936.42

Part of COVID-19 relief funding, ARP ESSER funds supported costs associated with a safe return to in-person instruction and addressing learning loss as well as social emotional challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Examples of FY25 costs include literacy professional development, backup generator installation, duct cleaning, an artist residency, flexible seating for classrooms, anxiety management consultation, software, and behavior management training supplies.

ARP ESSER Afterschool Round Two · $ 1,000.00

ARP ESSER Afterschool provided seed funding to bring back afterschool enrichment programming for OSSU schools in partnership with Rural Arts Collaborative.

ARP ESSER CS ELA Literacy & Mathematics Grant · $ 7,576.33

This grant enabled the SU to purchase materials and programs to support universal literacy and mathematics curriculums in all schools.

ARP ESSER Summer · $ 133,609.62

ARP ESSER Summer provided seed funding to bring back summer enrichment programming for OSSU schools in partnership with Rural Arts Collaborative.

ARP Homeless · $ 656.64

Part of COVID-19 relief funding, ARP Homeless Children & Youth provides funds to support students without fixed housing. Examples of costs include transportation to and from school and a Homeless Student Support Counselor to liaise between the student, family, and school.

BEST Grant · $ 3,343.20

BEST funds support the training and professional learning of school personnel in creating equitable, rigorous learning environments for students with emotional and behavioral needs.

Community Schools Sustainability Grant · $ 49,927.13

The Community Schools Sustainability Grant supports the Community Schools Initiative at Hazen Union, increasing student and community supports and integration.

IDEA-B Flow Thru Grants · $ 385,138.54

IDEA-B Basic supports special education instruction and services to eligible students with disabilities K-12.

IDEA-B Preschool Flow Thru Grants · $ 11,902.00

IDEA-B Pre-K supports special education instruction and services to eligible students with disabilities at the pre-K level.

Local Foods Incentive Grant · $ 13,097.25

Supports purchases of locally grown foods from Vermont foodmakers for the National School Lunch & Breakfast Programs

Local Standards Board Grant · $588.00

Provides stipends for teachers serving on local standards boards within schools.

McKinney Vento · $ 43,619.01

Provides funds to support students without fixed housing. Examples of costs include transportation to and from school and a Homeless Student Support Counselor to liaise between the student, family, and school.

Music Drives Us · $ 2,001.00

Offset transportation costs for K-2 learners to participate in Taiko drumming residency and performance.

Northern Vermont Prevention Coalition · $ 8,963.00

Supported the establishment of a Student Wellness Center at Hazen Union School to emphasize emotional regulation, mental health best practices, restorative justice, accountability, and community connection.

NSLP Equipment · $ 4,446.75

The NSLP Equipment Grant funded a new food dishwasher for Woodbury Elementary.

PCB Investigation & Mitigation · $ 38,952.00

Funds supported investigation, remediation, and removal of PCB contamination at Hardwick Elementary School.

State Afterschool Grant - Program Track · $ 37,500.00

Supported provision of afterschool enrichment activities at Craftsbury and Wolcott Elementary Schools.

Stronger Connections Grant · $ 154,322.76

Stronger Connections supports an MTSS Coach Salary and Benefits at Craftsbury Schools as well as School and Family Engagement contracted services.

Title I Grants · $ 413,560.97

Title I funds are intended to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education as well as close the achievement gap. Examples of expenses include homeless transportation, equity professional development opportunities, math and literacy interventionists, outdoor education/STEAM supplies, and after/out-of-scohol instruction support.

Title IIA · $ 95,496.27

Title II funds support increasing student achievement, improving the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals and other school leaders; increasing the number of effective teachers and school leaders; and providing low-income and minority students greater access to those teachers and school leaders. Examples of costs include professional development opportunities and equity consultants.

Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) · $ 86,036.73

Title IV is intended to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education, improve school conditions for student learning, and promote the effective use of technology in supporting academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. Examples of expenses include a portion of the nurse leader salary and benefits, online professional development training modules, and online learning platforms for students.

Vermont Community Foundation · $ 1,330.00

VCF funds covered supply costs for the Craftsbury Academy Empty Bowls pottery and food insecurity awareness event.

Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation · $ 25,000.00

Funds supported the installation of a new pellet boiler at Wolcott Elementary.

Vermont Department of Public Service · $100,000.00