By State Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis)
Indiana schools are currently considering the safest ways to bring students back to the classroom this fall. To assist with the needed preparations and accommodations, Gov. Holcomb recently announced two grants that are now open for application.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, one area where Indiana schools may see the most change this year is an increase in remote learning. Through the federal CARES Act, more than $61 million was awarded to Indiana's Governor's Emergency Education Relief fund. The governor will award this money to schools seeking to gain additional remote education resources and supplemental teacher training. The money will go to communities with the most need and will help ease the burden of transitioning to some form of part-time remote education. Applications close July 17.
Additionally, applications for Indiana's Secured School Safety Grant (SSSG) are now open. Since the Indiana General Assembly established the SSSG program in 2013, it has served as a critical resource to ensure Hoosiers are safe and secure in our schools. The program has delivered more than $72 million in matching grants to school districts across the state to address potential safety threats. These grants can go toward hiring a school resource officer, purchasing equipment to restrict access to the school or expedite the notification of first responders, as well as other options to protect students and teachers. These applications close July 31.
With the 2020-2021 school year quickly approaching, I encourage all of our local education leaders to take advantage of these programs in order to provide our students with a high-quality and safe education.
To learn more about these grants and other information on Indiana schools, please visit doe.in.gov.
As always, if I may be of assistance in this process, contact my office at Senator.Freeman@iga.in.gov or by phone at 317-232-9490.
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A high-resolution photo of State Sen. Aaron Freeman is available by clicking here.
