April 7, 2022 3:40 a.m.
The head of the Douglas Education Service District said that American Rescue Plan funding will benefit local students.
Superintendent Michael Lasher said the late State Representative Gary Leif has left a legacy that will benefit children in District 2 for years to come. Lasher said last spring each House member was allocated $2 million as part of the 2021 ARPA Act, with a short time period to complete an application for funding that could be used in each district.
Lasher said that Leif, and Gary Gray, a business professor at Umpqua Community College and a former strategy advisor for Leif, partnered with the ESD to serve as the lead agency to identify needed technology improvements in public schools within House District 2. Lasher said ESD staff and school district superintendents worked together to provide a scope of projected purchases that center around the themes of cyber security, improved bandwidth and classroom equipment.
ARPA funds were approved for release by legislative action in December 2021 and will benefit: Roseburg Public Schools, Winston-Dillard School District, Riddle School District, South Umpqua School District, Glendale School District, Days Creek School District and Douglas ESD.
Lasher said Leif was excited about this funding opportunity and earlier in 2021 had shared: “This is a great example of how elected officials can target support funds for needed projects within their districts. We need more programs and legislative actions, which are driven by the elected officials and not mandated from agencies without regard to the actual local needs and impacts.”. Leif said that rural schools must be enhanced with modern technology. He said traditional funding sources simply do not provide enough money to maintain current levels of technology, “…that our teachers need and our students deserve”.
Speaking about Leif, Lasher said, “As a business leader and public servant, his tireless efforts continue to positively impact our region. I can’t thank him enough for directing ARPA funding entrusted to him to lift up children in House District 2”.