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<br />2336 <br /> Regarding racial disparities addressed by this project: please see <br />above. The students served are predominantly black, hispanic, and <br />low income - a population that has been historically pushed into <br />nonacademic classes in their public education The low-income <br />properties receiving stormwater control interventions are <br />predominantly owned by non-white minorities who have historically <br />lacked the quality of stormwater and other public utilities enjoyed by <br />wealthier, white, tax-supported neighborhoods and Homeowners’ <br />Associations. <br /> <br />15. Please describe any ways in <br />which low‐income or <br />marginalized <br />communities/households were <br />engaged in the creation of this <br />project proposal: <br />This program was piloted in Durham County under the name of <br />BETC (Bionomic Education and Training Center) at Southern <br />School of Sustainability and Engineering <br />(https://www.dpsnc.net/site/Default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4& <br />PageID=1&ViewID=6446ee88-d30c-497e-9316- <br />3f8874b3e108&FlexDataID=1712) and extended to Northern High <br />School, Lowe’s Grove Middle School, and others in Durham, NC, <br />utilizing Durham public school teachers of occupational course of <br />study (OCS) or exceptional children (EC) students, the majority of <br />whom were from low-income or marginalized communities. In <br />addition to the demographics cited for Southern and Northern <br />high schools in 14.1 above, the Lowe’s Grove Middle School <br />(LGMS) student population is 95% minority, including 53% Black, <br />35% Hispanic, and 6% White; and LGMS enrolls 56% <br />economically disadvantaged children <br />(https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/north-carolina/lowe-s-grove- <br />middle-265336). Students, teachers and the low-income teachers <br />of the properties where BETC bmp’s were installed were all <br />involved in shaping the program as USS is employing it today. <br />16. Please describe any potential <br />negative side effects of the <br />project and describe the steps <br />you are taking/will take to <br />eliminate or minimize these <br />impacts to any low‐income or <br />marginalized <br />communities/households: <br />The only negative side effect we foresee is a lack of long-term <br />maintenance on the stormwater best management practices <br />installed by USS teachers and students. To ensure long-term <br />maintenance, our contract requires that the property owner <br />commit to maintaining their bmp for 5 years. To ensure this, USS <br />will continue to apply for funding to pay USS teachers and their <br />students to perform site checks and provide maintenance <br />services (weeding, replanting, etc.) every 1-2 years into <br />perpetuity for USS installations on low-income properties, <br />reducing homeowner maintenance costs to zero. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 2C2F66C4-424F-4660-AF8A-A623B6D7194E