The Montgomery County commissioners voted earlier this month to allocate $15 million of its CARES Act funding to support school districts. The decision was based on the acknowledgment that school districts have been forced to absorb large and unanticipated costs as they prepare for the start of the 2020-2021 school year during the pandemic. 

The Colonial School is to receive $592,725.13 of the $15 million. This amount was determined through a funding formula established by Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provides financial assistance to local educational agencies based upon need.

The District is also receiving $307,612 through a grant from the Pennsylvania School Safety and Security Committee, established with the state Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The state’s $150 Million pool of funds for the grant program also comes from the federal CARES Act.   

The District is using the funding to buy the following:

• Halo Disinfectant Systems (foggers) for each school
• Water bottle refilling stations
• Contactless thermometers
• Social distancing and directional signage
• New classroom furniture to allow for social distancing
• Hand sanitizer and disinfecting soap
• Thousands of face masks and other items. 

“We’re investing these funds to improve access for all students as we deliver our curriculum remotely and to prepare for their eventual safe return to Colonial classrooms,” said Dr. Mike Christian, Superintendent of Schools. “These grants ensure that the bulk of that cost will not take away from resources our children need for learning.”