Atlanta Public Schools has a plan for how to spend the nearly $23 million in federal pandemic relief dollars allotted to the district.
Lisa Bracken, the district’s chief financial officer, told the school board this week that she expects private schools to receive between $2 and $2.5 million of the $22,948,079 allotted to APS.
Districts are required to share a portion of the federal CARES Act money with private, nonprofit schools. Those schools request the money through the Georgia Department of Education. Private schools located within the APS attendance area would receive funds from the district's allotment.
So far, 13 private schools have made funding requests, according to APS. Those schools are: Atlanta Girls’ School, Atlanta International School, Atlanta Youth Academy, Berean Academy, Bright Futures Atlanta, Christ the King School, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy, Light of the World Christian Academy of Atlanta, Tamu Sana Kanyama Preparatory Academy, the Galloway School, the Paideia School and the Ron Clark Academy.
With the millions of dollars remaining, APS plans to earmark money in several big categories. Under a draft plan, the district would spend $11 to $12 million on educational services for students with disabilities. An estimated $4 to $5 million would go toward buying personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks and to pay other operational costs.
The district tentatively budgeted $3.5 to $4.5 million to replace computer devices and library books distributed to students for at-home learning after school buildings closed in mid-March.
APS would also spend $2 to $3 million on digital learning, and could dedicate some of the funds to cover the cost of paying employees hazard pay for working on the frontlines during the pandemic.
Bracken cautioned that the spending plan is still tentative and depends on the district’s future needs.
“Exact dollar amounts will not be solidified before a reopening model is decided upon,” she told the board.
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