Why can’t the COVID-19 federal stimulus funds be used in lieu of the referendum? 

The stimulus funding will result in the district receiving approximately $7.375 million in total. This funding has many restrictions as to how it can be used. The funding has been spent on COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the replacement of HVAC systems to improve air quality, and is currently being used to pay salaries for several teachers to keep class sizes small as students return to school after virtual learning. While the additional funds have been extremely helpful to schools as the pandemic’s impact continues, they are one-time funds and Valparaiso cannot depend on these funds to offset the loss due to property tax caps and changes to state funding.