McNeill: More than $945K awarded in COVID-19 safety grants
Rep. Jeanne McNeill August 7, 2020 | 12:31 PM
HARRISBURG, Aug. 7-- State Rep. Jeanne McNeill announced today that $947,864 in federal funding has been allocated to several area schools and Career and Technical Education centers in her district to assist with implementing public health and safety plans.
The grants were awarded as follows:
- Bethlehem Area School District: $398,450.
- Catasauqua Area School District: $34,000.
- Lehigh Career & Technical Institute: $359,611.
- Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School: $155,803.
“It’s important that our students have the safest possible learning environment,” McNeill said. “These grant dollars will aid in the ongoing steps toward pandemic mitigation and resuming operations.”
The funds can be used toward the safe reopening of schools, including the purchase of protective equipment, hand sanitizer and/or cleaning products; equipment or technology to take classrooms online; installation of barriers or other protective devices in building structures; or to purchase health apps to assist in contact tracing and monitoring of students.
According to McNeill, the grants are administered by the state Department of Education, with the federal funding based on both the shares of total enrollments by each postsecondary sector and the number of socioeconomically disadvantaged students served by institutions. The funding awards were calculated based on the allocation for federal Perkins CTC grants, which take into account the population of students aged 5-17 and the percent of poverty within the same age group.
More information about this grant program is available by contacting McNeill’s office at 610-266-1273
.