Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month announced she was directing $65 million in federal funding toward Michigan schools with more than 50% economically disadvantaged students and other education entities.
Of that $60 million goes toward school districts and the funding provides an extra $86.62 per student. The money comes from the Governor’s Education Emergency Relief Fund and is comprised of federal dollars allocated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
So which schools are eligible for the funds? Data provided by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office shows 613 of the state’s 888 school districts qualify for the funding.
Find your traditional public school district on the map. Can’t see the map? Click here.
For charter schools, which are not included on the map, you can search this database:
The extra money can be used for things like facilitating remote learning, student mental health, addressing learning loss, training teachers on remote instruction and health and safety measures to keep students and staff safe during the pandemic.
Whitmer at a press conference announcing the funding last month said, “we developed this formula to help schools and students and educators who are going to struggle the most as we try to resume life in the midst of this pandemic.”
Rep. Aaron Miller, R-Sturgis, chair of the House Appropriations K-12 Education Subcommittee, said he sees the case for sending the extra money to schools with high numbers of disadvantaged students.
“I would say generally it should go to where the need is,” he said, though he would have liked to see districts at the minimum per-pupil allowance get the boost as well.
Miller said the state sent additional federal coronavirus funding to schools in adjusting the current-year budget recently, but it largely backfilled existing funding.
Related: More health, school spending in 2020 budget revised by Michigan legislature Wednesday
To help you navigate this complicated fall, we’re pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.
COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.
Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.
Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.
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