Fed funds for nonpublic schools now available; includes two locally
Mike Seals - April 20, 2021 10:50 pm
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 20, 2021) – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister announced today that Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools (EANS) is now available to 56 Oklahoma schools.
This includes over $335,000 for First Lutheran School and more than $230,000 for St. Mary’s Catholic School, both in Ponca City.
The EANS program was authorized by Congress in December 2020 under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRSSA) Act.
“The pandemic caused major disruption to all students in our state, including those who attend private schools,” said Hofmeister. “The services and assistance these schools will receive through the EANS program will help students gain back what’s been lost over the past year.”
Oklahoma’s allocation for the EANS program is $30,986,191. The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) determined eligible nonpublic schools based on the number of students enrolled as of Oct. 1, 2019. The amount of EANS funds each nonpublic school has for services or assistance is based on the number and percentage of low-income students and those schools determined to be most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
EANS dollars are intended to prevent, prepare for and respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The types of services EANS funds can be used for include cleaning supplies, ventilation system improvements, training for staff, technology to help students and teachers with remote or hybrid learning, and the reimbursement of certain expenses incurred since March 13, 2020.
