Deadline Extended To Oct. 21 For Organizations To Submit Virtual Learning Center Proposals

Press release from Cumberland County:

Oct 15, 2020

Cumberland County understands that parents of school-aged children are struggling to work and provide virtual learning support to their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The County is asking community-based organizations to help find innovative solutions for residents during this unprecedented time.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners allocated $250,000 for organizations to operate virtual learning centers for students in grades K-8. A Request for Proposals is on the County’s website. The submission deadline is now Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. The funding is available because of Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars the County received.

In September, the N.C. General Assembly passed House Bill 1105 that allows for community-based organizations to provide remote learning facilities for school age children during the state of emergency. A remote learning facility is defined as “a building or space used to house school-age children during the school year for the purpose of facilitating online or remote learning.”

Requirements and Qualifications
To meet the minimum qualifications of the RFP, organizations must:

• be a non-profit organization and show evidence of its status as a 501(c)(3) or other recognized non-profit company or be a governmental entity located within Cumberland County.
• express and be willing to demonstrate a willingness and ability to accommodate virtual learning assistance for students in rural and underserved areas of the County.
• have published safety protocols, best practices, and environmental protocols in place to prevent, mitigate and resolve the transmission of COVID-19, influenza and/or other viruses and diseases.
• partner with Cumberland County Schools and provide a copy of the agreement or be registered as a Community-Based Organization through the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services for each site submitted within the proposal in accordance with NCGS 110-98.5. (Additional information is available on the CBO site.)
• detail and certify compliance with the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12).

Visit co.cumberland.nc.us, click on the “RFP for Virtual Learning Centers” graphic for instructions. Deadline to respond is 4 p.m. on Oct. 21. Follow the proposal submittal instructions and thoroughly review the RFP.

This press release was produced by Cumberland County. The views expressed are the author's own.