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Luzerne County school districts and Bear Creek Community Charter School collectively nabbed nearly $12 million federal emergency funds to offset costs from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money comes from the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act signed into law in March. The law set aside $13.2 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund to support continued learning for students where education has been disrupted.
The state department of education, in turn, determined how much schools would get from about $471 million Pennsylvania received.
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered schools closed statewide beginning March 16, initially for 10 days but ultimately extended through the end of the 2019-20 school year (June 30). The state Department of Education has pushed districts and schools to provide “continuity of education” for all students, which resulted in districts training teachers to work on line and providing students with necessary equipment.
The biggest awards in Luzerne County went to the three largest school districts. Hazleton Area got nearly $3.7 million, or 30% of the local total amount; Wilkes-Barre Area got nearly $3.3 million, or 27%. Wyoming Valley West received $1.5 million, or 12.4%.
Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish