BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced the county will give local school districts more than $15 million in CARES Act funding.
The funds will be used to offset costs associated with virtual learning, sanitation, and personal protective equipment. The amount given to a district varies from approximately $100,000 to districts like Holland Central Schools to more than $4 million to Buffalo Public Schools. Each school was given $100 per student and an additional $50 for every student who is considered to be in a poverty area and receives a free lunch.
"We believe we have an obligation on behalf of the people of our community to assist our school districts to ensure they can return their students as safely as possible back to school," Poloncarz said in an announcement on social media. "Whether it is in full, in-person learning as some districts have announced or virtual for the immediate future."
Poloncarz said guidance will be provided schools in the coming days and weeks and that the money must be used by the end of the calendar year.
"It cannot be carried over into 2021," Poloncarz said. "Having conversed with the school district representatives, I know they have spent a lot of money already responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and the impact of learning it has had in learning in their district."
The county executive said the Erie County Legislature gave him authority for giving his administration the power to spend funding with the CARES Act.