U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on April 6 announced a streamlined process for providing states funding flexibility to best meet the needs of students and educators during the COVID-19 national emergency. The new flexibility, authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, allows schools to re-purpose existing K-12 education funds for technology infrastructure and teacher training on distance learning, among other strategies to move resources to areas of highest need during the national emergency.
The $2 trillion CARES Act, enacted in late March, provides a $30 billion direct investment in education, including $3 billion to be allocated to governors and used at their discretion to address the emergency, $13.5 billion for K-12 education, and $14.25 billion for post-secondary institutions.
On April 7, the Grants Office, an NJSBA partner, conducted a free webinar on the CARES Act and what it means for education. Replays of the program can be obtained by registering here.