Kentucky Lieutenant Governor and Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Jacqueline Coleman is requesting an additional round of federal CARES Act funding for schools to safely reopen during the pandemic.
Coleman sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy Devos requesting the funds and flexibility in the way the CARES Act funds can be used.
“While some districts may resume in-person classes creating the need for increased PPE and transportation funding, other districts may choose a distance learning model that requires funding for increased technology and broadband,” said Coleman in the letter..
Coleman said without additional federal funds, schools will not be able to get through the upcoming school year.
A press release from Coleman’s office explains in addition to regular school expenses, educators are concerned about how they will purchase daily protective equipment. Other schools may need funding to buy computers for students who will be learning from home.
“This global pandemic has forced us to reimagine learning; to redesign school settings and create learning environments that are increasingly dependent upon communication and technology,” Coleman said in the letter. “The way schools have been funded in the past must evolve with these new educational practices. Our educators, students, and their families have all adapted to the changing times. Our education funding must, too.”
Coleman’s letter to Devos was sent July 9.
