About $61 million in grants were awarded to eligible Indiana schools to improve connectivity and increase the number of devices available to students and teachers.
The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund assisted schools with the purchase of 68,689 Chromebooks and iPads for students, 2,900 new or upgraded laptops for teachers, and 85,800 mi-fi devices with corresponding subscription plans for families who do not have a reliable internet connection.
Those benefiting from these dollars include 1,366 schools, 64 public charter schools, and 124 non-public schools.
Twelve institutions of higher education will receive more than $11 million. This money will fund specialized training to better support parents and families, students with special needs, English learners, and provide social-emotional learning resources during virtual/remote learning.
The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund was established by the federal CARES Act. Applications were evaluated by a team from the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, and the Indiana State Board of Education.
Locally, Culver Community Schools received $121,821, Knox Community School Corporation received $116,185.50, La Porte Community School Corporation received $362,500, and a group containing Kankakee Valley School Corporation, North Newton School Corporation, Rensselaer Central School Corporation, South Newtown School Corporation, West Central School Corporation, St. Augustine Catholic School received $375,000.