COVID-19 grant money available to Georgia schools

ATLANTA - With schools closed statewide, and many district's moving to end the school year early, some educators worry about the long-term impact on economically disadvantaged students. 

Paige Pushkin, Executive Director of the Georgia Foundation for Public Education told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes,  "We know there are so many needs related to the pandemic, things that schools and school districts couldn't have anticipated."

The COVID-19 Response Fund grant program will provide grants of up to 10 thousand dollars to Georgia schools and school districts, to implement programs in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Ways to be able to provide meals for children, certainly the digital devices and the connectivity.  We know that there are going to be other longer-term issues around good mental health and teacher preparedness around teaching via Zoom and other mediums like that", said Pushkin. 

The COVID-19 Response Fund is made possible through a partnership between the Georgia Foundation for Public Education and the Innovation Fund Foundation.

Grant monies will help ensure the state's most vulnerable student populations receive much-needed support from their schools in the months ahead.

 Schools on the Turnaround Eligible Schools List and school districts located in low wealth counties will receive priority. 

"This grant will target or give preference to low wealth districts that might need additional assistance, don't have the local tax base through which they can receive funding."

The deadline to apply for the grant is April 30.

You'll find more information about the grant on the Innovation Fund Foundation's website at iffga.org.