As with other districts across New York, the North Syracuse Central School District received funding in recent years — millions from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

“We have directed all that money, both ARPA and CRRSA, toward closing gaps, instructional gaps," Associate Superintendent for Business Services Don Keegan said. "When kids were out with COVID, there was some slippage in their instruction. So we've worked really hard to have AIS teachers and lower class sizes, anything we could do, counselors, social workers, anything we do to support kids and families. So we've done that with both CRRSA and ARPA funds over the last couple of years," Keegan said.

He said the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act will expire in September, and ARPA funds will stop in September 2024.

To help maintain the positions that were created through the funds, Keegan said the district wants to use incoming Foundation Aid.

“This year, we got a fairly substantial increase in state aid. That brings us up to our full funding. We've been underfunded for the last 15 or 16 years, but this brings us to our full funding. So that, coincidentally, is happening in the year we're losing the CRRSA funding. So what we're doing is absorbing all of those CRRSA positions, most of those CRRSA positions, into our regular operating budget," said Keegan.

TheRichfield Springs Central School District has also used the recent funding sources, but won’t be getting a big bump in Foundation Aid.

Superintendent Tom Piatti said the school districts that are getting more in Foundation Aid are those that had not previously received the correct amount. He said his district had gotten what they were supposed to, so Richfield Springs Central School district will see just a 3% increase.

That's not enough, Piatti said, to make up for the loss of the pandemic-related funding sources, inflation and increased need for services.

“When this federal money goes away, they're going to be some very difficult decisions that are going to affect children," said Piatti.

He said they already struggle due to being in a community that is rural and struggles with poverty.

“We already have a very bare-bones curriculum in what we offer our students. For example, in Richfield Springs, we don't have AP courses. We don't have coding courses. We only have one foreign language. So if we had those funds to expand program, but we don't. So it’s looking like dire straits down the road," said Piatti.

Piatti said when ARPA funds expire in 2024, they may have to cut positions. That is, unless something changes.

“Hopefully, down the road, there's a way to replace those federal funds that are going away so that we can maintain our programs. It's really that simple,” he said.

Piatti hopes the state may be able to help pay for safety resources, mental health services and special needs services when ARPA funds are no longer coming in.