Grady County School System leaders are meeting today, March 31, to discuss where to spend over $13 million in federal COVID-19 aid that has been awarded to the local school system.
School superintendent Dr. Kermit Gilliard said he is meeting with his administrative team and school principals to discuss and make plans for the $13,635,488 the school system will receive from the federal government through the Georgia Department of Education.
According to the superintendent, the local system will develop a plan that must be submitted to the state DOE and once approved the system can begin to utilize the stimulus funding.
“These funds will help Georgia schools address learning loss and ensure the safety of students, staff, and families,” said State School Superintendent Richard Woods. “I encourage all school districts to take advantage of these resources to continue or expand safe in-person learning options for students,” he added.
In an effort to combat the learning loss caused by the pandemic and school closures, one prospect is hiring an additional 60 paraprofessionals, according to Dr. Gilliard.
In addition to paraprofessionals, school leaders are considering the purchase of additional playground equipment to help with keeping students spread out on playgrounds and to aid in social emotional learning.
“We are fortunate to have another round of federal funds to help our students with learning loss caused by the pandemic. I am hopeful that we can provide what our younger students need to be on grade level by third grade. Additional parapros will provide our teachers more time for small group lessons. I am also very concerned about our students social emotional well-being. We will be looking at ways to make improvements in all areas of concern,” Dr. Gilliard said.
