NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 5, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Kazel, Communications Manager
218-725-5049 (office) • 218-591-2219 (cell)
St. Louis County distributes $1.8 million in CARES Act funds to area schools
St. Louis County has distributed $1,827,675 in CARES Act funds to 12 public school districts and two charter schools within the county. This funding is part of the $6 million that the St. Louis County Board approved allocating to community organizations.
The funds will help the schools - which together serve more than 25,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in St. Louis County - with financial impacts related to the pandemic, including purchasing PPE, cleaning and related costs, social distancing needs, COVID-19 screening needs, and related program expenses.
The amount distributed to each school district or charter school was based on funds requested for eligible expenses. All schools that applied received funding. These include:
- Chisholm Public School District - $15,000
- Duluth Public School District - $724,860
- Ely Public School District - $76,700
- Floodwood Public School District - $35,000
- Hermantown Public School District - $76,000
- Hibbing Public School District - $250,000
- Mesabi East Public School District - $157,500
- Mountain Iron Buhl Public School District - $98,720
- Nett Lake Public School District - $23,000
- Proctor Public School District - $159,911
- Rock Ridge School District - $90,000
- St. Louis County Public School District - $93,133
- Harbor City International Charter School - $6,000
- Duluth Public Schools Academy Charter School - $21,860
"When the County Board approved the general guidelines for how the county would distribute CARES Act funds, it was a priority to support the organizations that serve members of our community who are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency," said County Board Chair Mike Jugovich. "Helping our schools, which in turns supports so many children and families, helps fill an important need in our county right now."
"We have been working with our schools throughout this pandemic to help them understand and follow all precautions, so that they can operate safely and stay open this fall and winter," said Amy Westbrook, St. Louis County Public Health Division Director. "Prioritizing CARES funding to assist schools with PPE and other needed investments is another example of the county’s commitment to help make this happen."
St. Louis County received a total of $24.5 million in CARES Act funds. The County Board in August approved a distribution plan that includes: $6 million to be allocated for small business assistance, $6 million for community assistance, $1.25 million for the logging industry, $10 million to cover costs the county has incurred while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and $255,000 for cities and townships with populations under 200 people. An additional $1 million was held in reserve to be distributed later based on analysis of need.
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Note: this is an updated news release, correcting the list of schools receiving funding to appropriately list Rock Ridge School District.
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