CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Public Schools officials are laying out plans for spending a large chunk of the federal COVID relief money it’ll be receiving over the next couple of years.
Chicago Public Schools is expected to receive nearly $2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding. On Wednesday, the district laid out plans for $525 million of the money be used for school and student supports, as part of a new investment announced by CPS and Mayor Lightfoot.
Moving Forward Together is an unprecedented investment to address students’ social and emotional needs, accelerate student learning, and prepare students for success beyond the pandemic through a holistic, equity-based approach. It consists of flexible funding that schools can allocate to the programs and initiatives that meet the needs of their own school communities, as well as research-based supports that will be administered at the district level.
According to CPS, the money will be divided in three sections to address specific needs. Principals will receive $160 million in so-called “flexible funding” to use as they see fit. The district said schools with higher needs will receive more money.
Then, another $165 million will be used to provide specific resources to schools, such as a new district-wide curriculum and classroom technology. Lastly, an additional $201 million will go toward tutoring, mentorship, mental health support, early literacy support, job opportunities, more school counselors and resources for special education and English learner students.
As part of the Moving Forward Together investment, CPS plans to hire 850 people to serve as literacy tutors for kindergarten through fifth graders and math tutors for grades six through 12.
To ensure communities have the support needed to develop their own plans for using these resources, the district is hosting two virtual town halls. The district will provide an overview of the framework and will spend the weeks and months ahead supporting individual school town halls where each school community will discuss their unique plans and approach to utilizing these resources. Town halls will be held at the following dates and times:
Town Hall 1: Monday, June 28 (5:30 - 6:30 p.m.)
Town Hall 2 : Wednesday, June 30 (5:30 - 6:30 p.m.)
To register for either meeting, please visit bit.ly/MFTtownhall.
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