Springfield Public Schools is asking the public for input on how to spend $60 million in federal funds dedicated to helping students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school district will receive the money over the next two years as part of the Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund, passed by Congress in March as part of a larger COVID-19 relief package.
Stephen Hall, a spokesperson for SPS, says the district is asking parents, teachers, students, and community members how they want to spend the funds.
“It is important for us to hear from a variety of constituents regarding what they view to be the most critical needs in the aftermath and ongoing impact of COVID,” Hall told KSMU.
The funding is required to go toward programs addressing the mental, social, and academic needs of students. SPS’s surveys ask members of the community to rank methods of addressing these needs, from increasing access to mental health services to putting more resources to low-income and foster-related programs.
Hall says the district has seen over 1,000 responses since the survey was sent out Wednesday.
