Governor Whitmer Announces $65 Million in CARES Act Funding for Michigan Schools

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that she will allocate nearly $65 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars to Michigan school districts, higher education institutions, and other education-related entities that have been most significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This includes schools in Michigan’s economically disadvantaged districts and will help address the digital divide that has served as a barrier to remote learning for students and educators across the state.  The funding comes from the Governor’s Education Emergency Relief Fund. Districts will receive funding based on their numbers of economically disadvantaged students, special education students, and English language learners. To be eligible for funding, the school district’s concentration of economically disadvantaged pupils, compared to total district enrollment, must exceed 50%. Recipient districts will be required to use GEER funds for any of the following goals:

• Connectivity: Devices, internet access, access to remote services, or other similar purposes.
• Student Mental Health: Funding would enhance access to remote and in-person student mental health services.
• Addressing Learning Loss: Funding could be used by districts to offer supplementary content and intervention services to mitigate the impacts of learning loss.
• Out-of-School-Time Learning: Funds could be used to support out-of-school-time learning. These expenditures would ensure students have safe spaces to participate in remote education.
• Remote Learning Materials and Training (digital and non-digital): Funds could address both digital and non-digital content where remote learning continues as an instructional delivery model.
• Teacher Training and Curriculum: Funding could be used to provide additional professional development and curriculum modifications that allow districts to effectively facilitate distance learning while expanding their knowledge of the science of teaching.
• Other health, safety, and wellness needs identified, required, or recommended in the MI Return to School Roadmap.

$5.4 million will be distributed to other education-related entities and will be distributed for statewide mental health services, public television learning resources, implementation of teacher professional learning practices, and the Early On program to help reach more infants and toddlers through remote early intervention.

Here's the distribution list.