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The Williamsport Area School District is expected to receive almost $9 million as part of the $2.2 billion in federal stimulus funds being dedicated by the Wolf administration to help K-12 school districts and charter schools statewide provide much needed financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local districts and the amount of funds available are: Canton, $1,258,598; East Lycoming, $1,140,294; Jersey Shore Area, $1,871,138; Keystone Central, $5,316,886; Loyalsock Township, $945,113; Montgomery Area, $1,188,107; Montoursville Area, $1,057,830; Muncy, $872,147; South Williamsport Area, $1,278,274; Southern Tioga, $2,432,725; Warrior Run, $1,749,015; Wellsboro, $1,893,360; and Williamsport, $8,949,801.
Speaking during a media call, Noe Ortega, acting secretary of the state's Department of Education said that all funds will be given directly to the school districts using the Title I, Part-A formula, which bases distribution on the percentage of students in a district who qualify for reduced or subsidized lunches.
"Our decision to distribute the funds in this manner is an effort to ensure educational recovery efforts are
equitably distributed, that funding flows efficiently and transparently and that school leaders have maximum flexibility in responding to the unique impacts of the pandemic on the communities," Ortega said.
The ultimate decision for how funds are used will be in the hands of the school leaders, Ortega said, because they are "best positioned to make the decisions about the circumstances that schools face."
The wide range of permissible uses of the funds include: food service; professional training; technology purchases; sanitation and cleaning supplies; summer and after-school programs; and mental health supports.
"ESSER II funds can be leveraged for a wide range of activities as established under federal law," Ortega said.
"This includes all uses that were previously permitted under the first round of ESSER's funding that went to the schools as well as initiatives associated with measuring and remediating things like learning loss and efforts to prepare schools for reopening," he explained.
The federal relief is provided by the bipartisan Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act's Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund passed by Congress in December. Ortega stated that these are non-recurring emergency aid funds.
"The past 10 months have been unprecedented. COVID-19 has no doubt brought unparalleled change to our school communities. While this time has been unlike any other, it has created shifts in teaching and learning and presented us with some opportunities to begin rethink the structure and system that make up our education system. Not just in Pa., but across the United States," Ortega said.
While ESSER II funding is beneficial for ongoing recovery and school reopening efforts, Ortega noted in a news release from the state that additional federal funding is needed to address the crises of the past year.
"We are thankful for the bipartisan effort to support school communities during this time, but PDE will be advocating for additional action from Congress in the days, weeks and months ahead and I encourage educators to join us in raising their voices," Ortega said.
Funds must be used by September 2023. Districts must apply to the state Department of Education to obtain their allocated funds.