Electric buses, literacy, and more: Manchester Community Schools awarded multiple state grants

Manchester Community Schools has received a grant to replace three old buses with three new electric buses and their charging stations.

by Sara Swanson

If you’ve heard about Manchester Community Schools receiving a state grant recently, it was probably that the schools received a grant to replace three old diesel buses with three new EV buses and charging stations. In fact, attendees to last Friday’s varsity football game may have taken the opportunity to tour an example of and ask questions about the new EV buses. But that is just one of five state grants the district has been awarded this year.

Shannon Cajic, Chief Financial Officer of Manchester Community Schools, explained, “We have several new state grants that we have been awarded this year and have been working really hard to capture additional funds with the new state grant opportunities.” She added that there have been more state grant initiatives released this year and grant-funding sources are switching from heavy federal over to state, and that this is largely due to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, a federal program created as economic stimulus in response to the pandemic, funding being liquidated so less federal funding is available.

The state grants the school district has been awarded this year are

• Stronger Connections Funding, an $8,261 grant. Cajic explained, “The initiative of this grant is to establish safer and healthier learning environments and to prevent and respond to acts of bullying, violence, and hate that impact our school communities at individual and systemic levels, among other programs and activities.”
• 2024 Section 74(B) Clean Bus Energy, an $841,939 grant. The initiative of this grant is to replace three old diesel buses with three new EV buses and add three charging stations. Cajic stated, “The goal is to replace three of our aging diesel school buses with cleaner alternatives. This should help lower our general fund expenditures by decreasing spending on our maintenance, repair, and replacement costs, and lower fuel usage costs.”
• 97j Early Behavioral Intervention Tools, a $14,647.60 grant. Cajic stated, “This allows for the purchase and implementation of tools that provide a common way of identifying and collecting early behaviors that could require interventions in order to help and support all students, staff, and families.”
• 35j Professional Development, Curriculum and Supports Grant, a $100,791 grant. “This initiative aims to improve literacy instructional practices by investing in quality, research-based best practices and professional learning, also adding literacy curriculum, student literacy materials,” Cajic stated.
• Section 99b Educator Professional Development for Computer Science Grant, a $27,195 grant. “This grant aims to provide professional development training and certifications in computer science, SCRIPT, and computational thinking,” Cajic concluded.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.