Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange --Supplied file
Medicine Hat News
Southeastern Alberta’s three major school boards will receive $4.7 million combined in federal government funds to put towards costs related to reopening during the Coronavirus pandemic this month.
The Alberta government says the $262 million from Ottawa meant to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in schools will be dispersed equitably and quickly.
Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says $250 million will be doled out to school boards on a per-student basis, and the remainder spent on helping boards deal with a surge on online learning requests.
It represents about $350 per child for the upcoming school year that can only be used to cover COVID-19 related costs, such as cleaning, personal protective equipment and staffing.
There is no requirement to address class sizes, LaGrange told reporters, but local boards can use the funds on a variety of areas related to health protocols. “School authorities said that they wanted as much flexibility as possible to use this funding in ways that are most important for their schools and communities,” she stated in a release. “I recognize the importance of this, and am pleased to set broad criteria for use of this funding.”
Locally, Medicine Hat School Division will receive just under $2.6 million, the Medicine Hat Catholic board of education $926,000 and the regional Prairie Rose School Division $1.12 million.
There is no requirement to address class sizes, LaGrange told reporters, but local boards can use the funds on a variety of areas related to health protocols.
“School authorities said that they wanted as much flexibility as possible to use this funding in ways that are most important for their schools and communities,” she stated in a release. “I recognize the importance of this, and am pleased to set broad criteria for use of this funding.”
Locally, Medicine Hat School Division will receive just under $2.6 million, the Medicine Hat Catholic board of education $926,000 and the regional Prairie Rose School Division $1.12 million.
LaGrange says she’ll ensure the money immediately flows to school boards as soon as it’s received from Ottawa.
The funds will be transferred in two phases – once in September and again later in the school year.
This report by Medicine Hat News and Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 2, 2020
