Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana's Superintendent of Schools, talks about the more than $2 billion in federal COVID relief money earmarked for state schools.

More money is coming to state schools, Brumley explains. That cash will help offset the cost from the year long pandemic.

Louisiana schools are expected to get more than $2.5 billion from the recently passed $1.9 trillion relief legislation. This amount is more than double the amount received from the earlier CARES Act near the end of 2020. Olan for a beefed up summer school program to help struggling students, including full day rather than half day, classes.

Brumley emphasizes that priority number one is making sure that the billions on the way from the feds is "getting as many kids back in school face-to-face as we can, keep them safe and be sure the public knows how the money is being spent."

And what exactly are the federally approved ways to spend the money? "The way it works is you get a set of federal guidelines, in terms of things that can be used. For example, this would be anything that helps maintain a safe environment, things like sanitation or additional bus routes or additional space.

"But it's also...to make sure than any learning that any learning that's been lost can be recovered. That might be tutoring or summer programs. What we're trying to do as a state agency is find the best way to use these funds as the go directly to school systems."

And as far as distribution of the billions, what's the process for individual districts across Louisiana? "It's fairly defined," Brumley says, "We're already able to give estimations. I think it's a safe assumption that (Caddo schools) would receive more than the $62 million that they received most recently."

 

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