Funding awarded to assist special needs students
Grants totaling $127,510 will be awarded to area school districts to assist them in providing support and services to special needs students, including students with disabilities, state Rep. Pam Snyder announced Thursday.
Snyder, D-Jefferson, said the funds come from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund and the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s federal funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The grants will provide education services for students with disabilities, including those who may have been adversely affected by COVID-19 mitigation efforts and facing additional challenges for the upcoming school year, she added.
“There’s no doubt that our community’s students have been significantly affected by this pandemic, including our students with special needs,” said Snyder. “These funds will help our educators in providing the needed resources to help them receive a quality education.”
Grants will be awarded as follows:
Albert Gallatin: $36,061;
Bethlehem-Center: $20,078;
Brownsville: $34,970;
Carmichaels: $6,723;
Central Greene: $6,330;
Jefferson-Morgan: $5,000;
Southeastern Greene: $8,972;
West Greene: $9,376.
The money will provide enhanced real-time instruction to bolster remote services and supports for students with complex needs. It will also fund services and supports to students with disabilities who experienced a loss in skills and behavior and/or a lack of progress due to mandatory school closures.
Grant amounts were calculated using an allocation formula based on the number of students with complex special education needs within each local education agency.