Coronavirus hurt NC school budgets. Now they’ll get $431 million in relief funds.
North Carolina public schools will soon get access to more than $431 million in federal aid to help them deal with costs related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The State Board of Education approved a policy amendment Thursday for distributing $356.1 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to schools. The board also approved a policy amendment for distributing $75 million in CARES funding to help districts reimburse their costs for providing meals to students while schools have been closed.
“It’s very important to this board and the work of this board ... to make sure we provide nutrition for our students as a hallmark to also keeping them well, healthy and whole children,” said Alan Duncan, vice chairman of the state board.
The money comes as school districts have dealt with unexpected costs from COVID-19. In addition, the pandemic has led to an economic slowdown that could reduce how much state and local money that schools receive.
Between the two programs, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system could get $40.3 million. The Wake County school system could get $28.8 million.
Durham Public Schools could get $13.5 million. Johnston County schools could get $8.9 million. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County schools could each get $1.2 million.
The school districts and charter schools will need to apply to the state Department of Public Instruction for the money.
Schools can pick their own K-3 reading tool
Also on Thursday, State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced that school districts can pick which K-3 reading diagnostic tool they want to use to test students for the 2020-21 school year.
Elementary schools are required to test K-3 students periodically during the school year as part of the state’s Read To Achieve program. Schools had been using Amplify Education’s mClass program before the state had picked Istation to use this school year.
Amplify is contesting the three-year, $8.3 million contract issued to Istation last year. DPi announced last month that it was canceling the Istation contract and planned to recommend a new statewide contract for the 2020-21 school year.
Johnson said Thursday that DPI will identify which tools meet state criteria for school districts to use. He said they’ll likely go back to a single tool in future school years.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 7:10 PM with the headline "Coronavirus hurt NC school budgets. Now they’ll get $431 million in relief funds.."
