Missouri to Receive $208 M for Coronavirus-Related Needs

WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), announced that Missouri will receive $208 million to help elementary and secondary schools respond to coronavirus-related needs. The funding will be used to help schools address immediate needs of students and teachers, improve the use of education technology, support distance education, and make up for lost learning time. The Education Department notified each state of their funding allocation today to help them plan how to best utilize funds to meet local needs. Blunt urged the department to quickly release funds.

“The coronavirus pandemic is straining education budgets as schools have had to shift to distance learning to keep kids safe,” said Blunt. “This funding will help schools cover technology and other distance learning costs to create the best possible learning environment for students during these unprecedented times. As a former high school history teacher, one of my priorities in responding to this virus is limiting the impact it has on a child’s education and long-term development. I’ll keep working closely with the Education Department to speed up the release of this critical funding for school districts, teachers, and students.”

As the chairman of the subcommittee that funds the Education Department, Blunt worked to secure this funding in the recently-enacted CARES Act. Last week, Blunt commended the Education Department for allocating $206 million in funding for Missouri colleges, universities, and trade schools to make emergency cash grants to students and offset other general expenses related to the coronavirus.