Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1458924
8 THE INSPIRING STORY OF WYOMING EDUCATORS WHO SPOKE UP ABOUT PANDEMIC RESCUE FUNDS THEY MET THEIR STUDENTS' MOST URGENT NEEDS. YOUR LOCAL CAN, TOO. This story is re-printed with permission from NEA Today. BY AMANDA LITVINOV E ducators in Casper, Wyo., were bracing for a spike in students' mental health needs when they returned to in-person learning in fall 2020. But the wave came later than expected. "We were prepared for chaos last year, but that's not what happened," says Carrie Maki, a school counselor at C.Y. Middle School. "I think they were just so excited to be back in school. But this year, that number is on the upswing." e main driver, she says, is unrelenting stress at home. Students are dealing with everything from parents losing jobs to homelessness to the deaths of loved ones. In Casper and across the country, the realities of the pan- demic also created an urgent demand for more school nurses. Wendy Wilson, a nurse at Casper Classical Academy, explains that she and her colleagues are now tasked with screening students for COVID-19, keeping in communication with more families, and educating staff and students about safety measures, in addition to handling the usual sprained ankles and stomachaches. Before the pandemic, Natrona County—which includes Casper—had only one nurse for every two schools. Keeping up with the increased workload would have been impossible. But thanks to pandemic relief funds from the federal govern- ment and educators advocating for changes that matter, each of the district's 28 schools now has a counselor and a nurse present every day. e Natrona County Education Association (NCEA), Natrona County Public Schools administrators, and school board members worked together to ensure the funds were used in ways that would benefit students the most—includ- ing academic supports at the elementary level and HVAC improvements throughout the district's buildings. e importance of locals speaking out for our students cannot be overstated. COVID-19 has touched every commu- nity, but what they each need to rebound might be different. T H E T H R E E WAV E S O F K – 1 2 S C H O O L R E S C U E F U N D I N G The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) The Coronavirus Emergency Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations The American Rescue Plan (ARP) $13.2 BILLION $54.3 BILLION $122.8 BILLION