Georgia public school districts will receive a total of $411,452,867 in COVID-19 relief funds this month.

Georgia applied for the funds through the Education Stabilization Fund Program Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act – the federal stimulus aimed at COVID-19 relief. The State Board of Education approved State School Superintendent Richard Woods' recommendation to accept the funds in a called meeting today.

“I am pleased that Georgia school districts will receive substantial funding through the CARES Act," State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “My Department worked to apply for these funds as soon as they were announced, and we remain committed to getting the funds to districts as quickly as possible, as we know the need is immediate. We will continue to pursue all possible funding avenues to help our school districts through the COVID-19 crisis and the related economic downturn." 

The CARES Act funds are flexible in nature; districts can use them for a wide variety of efforts including distance/remote learning, school meals, supporting at-risk student populations, mental and physical health, supplemental learning, facilities/equipment, and maintaining continuity of core staff and services. The funds can be used to reimburse expenses retroactive to March 13, 2020, and do not expire until September 2022.