Luzerne County schools get $58.5 million in second round of COVID-19 relief

Luzerne County Public Schools are eligible for a combined $58.5 million in the second round of federal COVID-19 money made available by the relief bill passed in December. The dollar figures generally increase with the size of the education agency.

Districts must apply for the money.

Hazleton Area School District, the county’s largest by both enrollment and geographic size, is eligible for nearly $17.4 million, while Wilkes-Barre Area, the second largest by enrollment, can get $14.6 million. Northwest Area School District, the county’s smallest by enrollment, could get $913,768. Bear Creek Community Charter School, which is deemed a separate “Local Education Agency” by the state, is eligible $820,249.

The federal bill, known as the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, included $53.4 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund created by the first COVID-19 bill passed in the spring. This second round of grants was given the acronym ESSER II. Pennsylvania, in turn, got more than $2.2 billion in ESSER II money it is distributing to all school districts and charter schools based on the LEA’s share of annual Title 1 federal money provided to districts to help provide services to students from low-income families.

According to a federal fact sheet, ESSER II money can be used for costs “related to preventing, preparing for and responding to COVID-19,” which includes “addressing learning loss, preparing schools for re-opening, and testing, repairing and upgrading projects to improve air quality in school buildings.”