Here's what Door, Kewaunee county schools will get from state's added $90 million in aid

MADISON - School districts in Door and Kewaunee counties will receive an extra $777,000 combined from the state to help them get through the 2022-23 school year under an educational aid package announced Tuesday by Gov. Tony Evers.

The package, which was announced two days before the start of the school year, will provide a total of $90 million across two programs to K-12 schools across Wisconsin.

Districts and independent charter schools can use $75 million as back-to-school aid to help meet staffing needs, keep classroom sizes small and provide other classroom support, while $15 million is being used to double the funding for the “Get Kids Ahead” K-12 school-based mental health initiative Evers announced earlier this year.

“As our students, parents, and educators and schools get ready for another exciting school year ahead, we know that there are some serious challenges our kids, families, and schools are facing," Evers said in a news release from his office. "... These investments will go toward making sure our kids have the resources and support to get caught up and be successful both in and out of the classroom.”

According to the news release, all of the $90 million is coming from the state’s federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. The $75 million aid package is being distributed to school districts on a per-pupil basis of $91.15 per student. The "Get Kids Ahead" initiative sees each school district receive a minimum of $20,000, double the $10,000 minimum when it was first announced during Evers' State of the State address in February, with extra allocations to the districts also determined on a per-pupil basis.

The funds awarded to Door County's five school districts combined are about the same as the funds going to Kewaunee County's three districts. Kewaunee County schools will receive a total of $312,918 in aid and an additional $75,657 for "Get Kids Ahead" for a total of $388,569, while Door County schools will get $295,144 in aid and $93,103 for the mental health initiative for a total of $388,247.

In Kewaunee County, the Luxemburg-Casco School District will receive $161,062 in aid and another $33,493 for "Get Kids Ahead," Kewaunee is getting $87,231 and $22,724, and Algoma will receive $64,625 and $19,440.

Among Door County school districts, Sturgeon Bay will receive $97,804 in aid and $24,266 for "Get Kids Ahead," Southern Door gets $94,796 and $23,880, Sevastopol is receiving $49,221 and $17,179, Gibraltar was awarded $47,763 and $16,967, and Washington Island will receive $5,560 and $10,881.

In the news release, Evers justified the added funds by saying many districts face significant challenges with staffing and other areas as well as increased student mental health needs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that began hitting Wisconsin in March 2020.

He said the $75 million package includes flexibilities for districts and an extended timeline allowing the funds to be used over several school years. It can be used to retain and recruit educators and staff, address rising costs for supplies and services due to inflation, defray the cost of school busing and provide direct support for kids in the classroom.

“Get Kids Ahead” is intended to provide school-based mental health support and services for nearly every school district in the state by providing direct mental health care, hiring and supporting mental health navigators and providing mental health first aid and trauma-based care training, among other things.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door, Kewaunee county schools to get additional $777,000 in state aid