Schools in Wilton may receive just under $78,000 in federal money to mitigate coronavirus costs.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut MediaWILTON — Schools in Wilton will receive $77,995 in coronavirus aid, a tiny fraction of the $111 million in federal relief money provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The funds fall under the federal CARES Act, Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief. The school district will have to apply to receive the money. Non-public schools are also eligible for a portion of the funds.
After the state education department reserved $11.1 million, the balance of $99.9 million was left for school districts to share. How much each received is based on how much federal Title 1 funding they received in fiscal year 2019-20.
In Fairfield County, the city school districts received the largest amounts:
Bridgeport — $9.1 milion.
New Haven — $8.5 million.
Stamford — $2.7 million.
Danbury — $2.3 million.
Norwalk — $2 million.
“This global pandemic is causing unprecedented consequences that we have never experienced in our lifetimes, and our school systems have been forced to respond in creative ways,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement on Thursday, May 14.
“I applaud our many teachers and educational staff who have been working through this trying time to provide distance learning and continue engaging our students. Our administration is determined to work with school districts to ensure that we can maintain these efforts and every student has access to the educational opportunities that they deserve,” he said.
Neighboring school districts may receive the following amounts:
Darien — $131,611.
New Canaan — $99, 710.
Redding — $27,805.
Ridgefield — $94,454.
Weston — $51,548.
Westport — $141, 129.
The state Department of Education is developing an application process for school districts, which will include specific questions regarding which areas of need they will focus on, which strategies they anticipate utilizing, and how remote learning will be part of their solution.
Regular feedback will be expected as districts solidify the strategies they plan to use to address student learning gaps, provide universal access to high-quality remote learning, and safely reopen schools.