NC schools will get $1.6 billion in COVID relief aid. How can they use the money?
North Carolina public schools will share $1.6 billion in federal aid designed to help them to deal with issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The State Board of Education approved Thursday a policy for distributing $1.6 billion in federal COVID-19 school relief aid. The state Department of Public Instruction will keep up to 10%, with school districts and charter schools getting the rest of the funding.
“This is obviously a significant distribution of funding,” said state board vice chairman Alan Duncan.
It’s the latest in a series of relief packages approved by Congress over the past year.
How much money will schools get?
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system will get at least $141.9 million, the most of any school district in the state. The amounts are based on the number of low-income students in districts and charter schools.
The Wake County school system will get the second-highest amount of at least $96 million.
The minimum amounts for other Triangle school districts include:
▪ Durham Public Schools: $46.6 million
▪ Johnston County: $29.2 million
▪ Chatham County: $5.4 million
▪ Orange County: $3.7 million
▪ Chapel Hill-Carrboro: $3.2 million
Schools will have to apply to the state Department of Public Instruction showing how they intend to use the funding.
How will the money be used?
The money can be used for a variety of reasons, including:
▪ Providing principals and other school leaders with resources to address the needs of their individual schools.
▪ Purchasing sanitation and cleaning supplies for school facilities.
▪ Purchasing educational technology for students.
▪ Providing mental health services and support.
▪ Addressing learning loss among students.
▪ Planning and implementing summer learning and afterschool program activities.
The state House passed legislation requiring school districts to set up a summer school program to help students who’ve had learning loss due to COVID-19, The Senate has not yet acted on the bill.
House Speaker Tim Moore says districts can use this new round of federal aid to fund the summer program.
