Section 205

205.  Distressed County Emergency Funds

 
205.01.  Pursuant to the provisions as listed in West Virginia Code §18-9D-4d, at the discretion of the Authority with the advice of the SBA staff, the Authority may choose to award Distressed County Emergency Funds. 

205.02.  To be eligible to receive SBA funds from the Distressed County Emergency Fund, a county must be considered “financially distressed” meaning a county is either in deficit or on the most recently established watch list by the WVDE Office of School Finance of those counties at-risk of becoming in deficit.

205.02.  A financially distressed county board of education is eligible for reimbursement by the SBA for expenditures in order to keep the school(s) or major core spaces within a school open and operational.

205.03.  Application Process
    205.031.  The Superintendents of eligible counties must notify the SBA staff immediately of the emergency facility needs.  SBA staff representatives shall visit the affected school(s) in a timely manner to verify the level of need.  

    205.032.  Before expending local funds, all other federal, state, or other potential funding sources for emergencies must be exhausted. 

    205.033.  Eligible county boards of education must submit a letter of request for a grant allocation from the Fund.  Each letter shall include the following:
        a.  Name of the school(s) affected
        b.  Description of the proposed solution
        c.  Estimate of probable cost or invoice for work/services performed
        d.  Description of the necessity for a grant from the Distressed County Fund

    205.034.  The SBA staff may inspect all maintenance or inspection records related to the county board of education’s request.

    205.035.  Using the guidance of the WVDE’s Office of School Finance, the Authority may require additional information regarding the county board of education’s annual budget.

    205.036.  The Authority will consider requests brought by the SBA staff on behalf of the county boards of education in a special emergency meeting or a regular quarterly meeting.