• Request for Proposals: Homecoming Cabarrus Project

    Cabarrus County Schools (CCS) initially projected a 2% growth from 2019-20 to 2020-21 pf 2% (approximately 680 students). However, by month two of the 2020-21 school year the district contracted by about 1,250. This is effectively a difference of approximately 1,930 students. For the 2021-22 school year the district grew by 1,159 students, these offsets the two-year reduction to about 771 students. The district’s demographic planning specialist indicates that the most prevalent losses in these student enrollments were noted in elementary school (Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 5th grades). The United States Census Bureau estimates that rate of homeschooling in North Carolina nearly doubled, increasing from 5% to 9.4%. Cabarrus’ lack of significantly larger two-year reduction may be attributed to the high rate of growth in the area.

    During the pandemic it is estimated that Cabarrus County Schools did not enroll approximately 770 student students that were expected to attend based on planning and growth projections. For a variety of reasons parents may have opted to enroll their children in homeschools, charters, and private schools. Still other families may have withheld their children from school participation.

    Cabarrus County Schools will use limited, one-time grant funding to attempt to enroll or re-enroll eligible students through a four-tiered approach called “Homecoming Cabarrus”:

    • Outcome-based marketing: CCS will engage a contract agent to develop outcome-based marketing strategies to encourage re-enrollment in a world-class school system designed to prepare young people for the future.
    • Tutoring to offset learning deficits: Homeschool parents frequently lack the skillsets to facilitate knowledge transfer for young learners. CCS will engage a contract agent who can help bridge gaps in knowledge through strengthening student’s math skills.
    • High school advisement: Through a review of homeschool transcripts for high school students CCS will engage a contract agent who can offer a projection on the number of credits needed for graduation.
    • Enhanced points of access: CCS will engage a contract agent to identify non-conventional points of access for student enrollment. This might include community locations like El Puente, The Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, or churches.

    Parents will be asked if they have been out of CCS during the 2021-22 school year and encouraged to “come home” to our school district. If they indicate that they have been homeschooling or out of school entirely they will be offered the opportunity for relevant tutoring (especially in math). For high school students retuning from home school or charter schools parents can access an academic advisor who can offer a review of transcripts, provide an assessment of the number of credits earned/needed for graduation, and discuss solutions to address possible deficits.

    CCS will contract with one or multiple agencies through an open Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The selected agency or agencies must have the following competencies or capacity to engage sub-contract agents or employees with these skills and abilities:

    1. Expertise in the CCS enrollment process
    2. Ability to provide technical assistance and support to host sites serving as enrollment centers
    3. Familiarity with requirements for enrollment
    4. Ability to train paraprofessionals at community centers in the use of technology and requirements to support enrollment
    5. Ability to provide select locations with technology assets to facilitate enrollment
    6. Ability to communicate with non-proficient English speakers (primarily Spanish, but potentially easter European languages)
    7. Ability to tutor students in elementary, high school, and middle school math
    8. Ability to review homeschool records and transcripts for high school students to identify the number of credits earned and needed
    9. Positive approach to working with families
    10. Belief in the self-determination and positive intentions of families in supporting student success
    11. Ability to “track” students enrolled through this project

    Should an individual agency lack the resources, knowledge, skills, and abilities listed above CCS will strongly encourage sub-contracting options for a lead entity working in partnership with qualified agencies and/or individuals.

    Questions about this project and completed proposals must be submitted to Transfers@Cabarrus.k12.nc.us . Proposals must be submitted no later than close of business on May 6, 2022 with selection being completed by or before May 16th with the intention of rolling out services by or before May 31, 2022.

    Proposals should be no longer than 3 pages in length and must include:

    • Organization Name
    • History working on similar project
    • Connection to Cabarrus County
    • Specific description of qualifications as defined by skills and abilities listed in items a-k above
    • For circumstances with sub-contracting please be sure to list the names of organizations with whom you will be partnering

    The total grant amount of $233,897 can be contracted for one or multiple providers though a preference is for one lead agency or organization.

    An information session will be held on Monday April 25, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Interested agencies and organizations can Click here to join the meeting

     

     

     

    Project funding is non-recurring and financially supported by FPMS-ARPA ESSER III Combined State Reserve PRCs Part II grant application. This specific program (PRC 191) requires engagement of contract agents and does not support payment of local staff positions.