Massachusetts To Use Remaining $611 Million From American Rescue Plan On K-12 Schools
BOSTON (CBS) -- The US Department of Education has approved Massachusetts Plan to get schools back on track after the coronavirus pandemic.
The Department of Education just gave the state the go-ahead to use its remaining $611 million from American Rescue Plan funds to get schools back open for the 2021 school year.
The state had to submit plans to the department, which lays the groundwork for how the federal funds will be used. In those plans, Massachusetts says they will use the money to get schools safely reopened for full-time, in-person learning, address students academic needs and learning loss with acceleration academies, and provide resources for students and staff social, emotional and mental health.
The money will also address disparities in education and access to technology, which were exacerbated by the pandemic. Funding will also be used to continue efforts to vaccinate educators and students, with more on campus clinics similar to ones held in the past.
The plan has the support of Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Speaker Katherine Clark and Jeff Riley, the state's Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education.
