North Kent News

Kent County schools received $2 million in federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funding to safely reopen during the pandemic, seeking to send students and teachers back to school for the 2020-21 school year.

The funds were approved by the Kent County Board of Commissioners on August 27, allocated from the approximately $115 million in federal CARES Act grant funds the county received earlier this year for any financial relief needed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are fortunate to have this federal funding and be able to provide our schools with the resources they need to ensure our children continue to learn and grow,” said Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Mandy Bolter in a Board of Commissioners’ Office News Release.

Based on the number of students enrolled in 2019 within each school, the grants will provide the schools with approximately $16 per student.

Using the "MI Safe Schools" plan, all schools will be given flexibility in how the grant funds are used. Purchase of personal protection equipment (PPE), sanitation supplies, technology costs in regard to virtual learning, financing mental health care and nurses are among the eligible uses for the funds.

“As a mother of two boys, I understand the stress parents are feeling about getting their kids back to school,” said Bolter in the Board of Commissioners’ Office News Release.

Public, private and charter schools in Kent County are eligible for the grant funding. All schools will be notified by Kent County Administration with the amount they are eligible to receive, as well as the application process.

CARES Act grants have been allocated by the Kent County Board of Commissioners to a variety of programs to help the community during COVID-19, including allocating $25 million to the Kent County Small Business Recovery Program, shelter assistance, nonprofit assistance and a business PPE program.