Schools get $18 million to deal with virus

Pennsylvania has received $523.8 million from the U.S. Department of Education to help schools deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state Department of Education applied for the money through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund last week.

“Our schools and educators have been working tirelessly to help students and their families during this crisis,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “These efforts must be paired with investments that reflect the unprecedented scale of this challenge. The U.S. Department of Education’s approval of Pennsylvania’s application is an important, first step in securing those investments.”

The federal CARES Act mandates that at least 90% of the funds, or $471 million, go directly to traditional public school and public charter schools. Schools will receive the new funding in an amount proportional to the federal Title 1-A funds they receive under the Every Student Succeeds act.

An application process was opened up Wednesday for school districts to claim their piece of the funding.

In Berks County the slice is just over $18 million, more than half of which will go to the Reading School District. Reading will receive just over $11.6 million.

The funding for the rest of the county ranges from $194,000 to the Kutztown School District to $629,000 to the Muhlenberg School District.

State Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera said Wednesday that the money will be a great assistance to educators who have been working tirelessly to make sure students stay safe and continue learning.

“As educators, our top priority has always been to ensure the health and safety of staff and students,” he said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented change to our school communities, and school leaders across the state have stepped up to ensure students and families continue to be served. These funds will provide vital assistance during this critical time.”

The federal funds can be used by districts in a variety of ways, including for services, professional training, technology purchases, sanitization and cleaning supplies, summer and afterschool programs and mental health support.

The state Department of Education is urging each district to prioritize the way it spends the money to support vulnerable students and families, such as those living in deep poverty, students with disabilities, English language learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care.

The federal dollars must be spent by September 2022. School districts and charter schools must apply to the state Department of Education to receive their funding.

The federal funds that do not go directly to schools will be used at the state level to support initiatives such as remote learning that can be designed and implemented with greater efficiency at the state level.