Ellington, Somers Schools Included In Latest Federal Virus Aid

ELLINGTON/SOMERS, CT — The Ellington and Somers public school systems could receive at least $375,000 apiece in the latest federal coronavirus-related aid package.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney has released projected allocations that school districts in Connecticut's 2nd Congressional District would receive under the American Rescue Plan — a comprehensive coronavirus relief bill currently being negotiated in the House of Representatives.

According to current estimates, Congressional district schools could receive at least $128.4 million in American Rescue Plan grants that would be "proportionally distributed."

Courtney is a senior member of the House Education and Labor Committee.

"Teachers, principals, and local education leaders in every town in eastern Connecticut have expressed an urgent need for more resources to cope with the pandemic," Courtney said. "We've got to make sure our schools have the tools they need to open safely, and to stay open.

"Our students can't afford to miss out on more in-person learning than they already have, and working families can't afford it either. Not a single school in eastern Connecticut should go without the support it needs to do basic things like repair and upgrade ventilation systems, provide PPE for staff and students, and implement social distancing guidelines. The American Rescue Plan will put more resources in the toolboxes of our local schools so that teachers and students can return to class safely, and will bolster the national vaccination effort to ensure educators and other essential workers can receive the vaccine as soon as possible."

Courtney's announcement came after he and the Education and Labor Committee voted on Feb. 10 to advance the committee's portion of the larger comprehensive relief package, which included "urgent relief for students, schools, and childcare facilities nationwide."

According to projections, the bill could provide Connecticut with an estimated $1.2 billion in relief funding for K-12 schools, and $371.4 million for institutions of higher education. The bill is also estimated to provide $277 million to support childcare centers throughout Connecticut, and more than $6.6 million in support for the state's Head Start programs.

The funding would be distributed through the existing Title I education aid formula, and eligible for use in helping schools take steps recommended by the Centers For Disease Control to "ensure students and educators can return to the classroom safely."

Schools must reserve at least 20 percent of funding to address learning loss.

This support would come in addition to the more than $59 million in federal funding for eastern Connecticut schools authorized by H.R. 133 through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program, which Courtney announced on February 1st.

Here are the estimated breakdowns for Ellington and Somers:

• Estimated minimum reservation of school funds to address learning loss: ELL $80,000, SOM $75,000
• Remaining school funds: ELL $319,000; SOM $300,000
• Estimated grand total: ELL $399,000; SOM $375,000

"Although the Ellington Public Schools have been full in-person since Oct. 5, we know that the long-term recovery has just started," Ellington Superintendent of Schools Scott Nicol told Patch. "We welcome additional funding to support the long-term needs of the district and to ensure all students are achieving at their greatest potential."

Somers Superintendent of Schools Brian Czapla told Patch, "We continue to assess the numerous issues caused by the pandemic to responsibly develop action plans that best support our students, staff, and the community. The federal government's allocation is welcomed, but it may not be enough to meet all of the students' academic, social and emotional needs as well as facilities necessities."

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