Mississippi News Nonprofit The coronavirus pandemic forced schools to close and required educators to rethink the way they teach. However, a slew of federal funds for Mississippi’s K-12 schools and higher education institutions could change the way that schools provide classes and other resources. The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act was signed by President Donald Trump on March 27 to provide financial support to states affected in the coronavirus pandemic. The aid package contains $2 trillion, with $30.75 billion going to education. The Education Stabilization Fund can be divided into three categories: the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund; the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund; and the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. For states with the highest coronavirus burdens and the Bureau of Indian Education, a separate pot of money has been set aside. The Legislature is currently fighting with the governor to remove him from his sole spending authority of stimulus money. Instead of the governor dispensing the funds, the funds will flow through the appropriations process. Governor’s Relief Fund (GEER Fund). A letter sent by Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, to governors stated that this “extraordinarily flexible emergency grant” allows governors the ability to address the needs of students, schools and postsecondary institutions as well as education organizations. It specifically mentioned that charter schools and non-public schools were included in the letter. The letter stated that “My Department won’t micromanage your spending of these funds.” However, it encouraged you to use these resources to ensure that all students learn via remote learning, especially in a time when many schools boards, superintendents and institutions of higher educational have had to close their brick-and-mortar campuses. The governor can spend these funds at his discretion. However, Mississippi Today was informed by the Mississippi Department of Education that it collaborates with him on how to use these funds. Reeves stated last week that he would use some of the CARES Act funds for distance learning. We know the virus could return and distance learning might become an increasingly common part of our education system. Reeves stated that many families don’t have the resources necessary to learn remotely. I have a plan to use CARES Act funds for that purpose, and it will be a priority. Our recovery will require support for teachers, schools, and parents. The Mississippi Department of Education will sub-grant these funds to school districts. The same formula was used to calculate the funding amount that the state received. Title I funding is federal dollars that are given to schools with high enrollments of low-income students. According to a spokesperson for the department, although the district-by-district allocation amounts are not yet available, department officials are currently working to release guidance documents to schools about how to spend the money. Carey Wright, State Superintendent, stated that all districts, especially those that struggle to offer distance learning, need to think carefully about how the money should be spent. “The most important aspect of this is that the federal government has a lot of responsibility for how this money is used. Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). These funds are directly distributed to colleges and universities. Here is a list of all universities and colleges that were allocated funds. The institution must use at least 50% of the funds it receives to provide financial aid grants to students affected by the pandemic. The funds can be used by students to pay for food, housing, course material, technology, child care, or health care. The universities can use the other half to cover costs related to significant changes in the delivery of instruction because of the coronavirus.