Northam announces CARES Act Funding for private schools

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today invited eligible Virginia private schools to apply for funding from the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act approved by Congress in December 2020.

The CRRSA Act includes $2.75 billion in Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funding for the Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools (EANS) program and Virginia received an allocation of $46.6 million. Non-public schools do not receive direct awards or allocations under the EANS program. Rather, state education departments use EANS funds to procure services and assistance requested by eligible schools in their applications.

In total, Virginia will receive approximately $993 million in funding for PreK-12 education from the CRRSA Act, with $946 million benefitting Virginia’s PreK-12 public schools. $845 million of those funds are currently available to Virginia’s 132 public school divisions, with $101 million set aside for statewide education initiatives such as enhancing student literacy, providing extended year learning opportunities, and increasing digital instruction tools for educators.

“All of our students and educators have endured tremendous educational disruptions over the past year,” said Governor Northam. “These funds will help our private schools address pandemic-related operating costs and ensure they can continue to meet the individual needs of their students during this challenging time and as we move forward.”

The American Rescue Plan Act, which was signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden in March, includes $122 billion to support the recovery efforts of K-12 schools nationwide. Ninety percent of the funding will go directly to local school districts based on the formula for distributing federal Title I funds. Ten percent of the funding will support state-level efforts to help schools recover from the pandemic. Virginia will receive $2.1 billion, with $1.9 billion going directly to school divisions, and approximately $200 million reserved to support state-level K-12 recovery initiatives.

According to the Virginia Council on Private Education (VCPE), there are 488 accredited K-12 private schools in the commonwealth serving approximately 112,000 students. In Virginia, eligible non-public schools are K-12 private schools with state-recognized accreditation through the VCPE and private schools that certify compliance with the state laws that apply to schools accredited through VCPE. The CRRSA Act requires state education departments to prioritize applications based on enrollment of low-income students and the severity of the impact of the pandemic on the school.

“Virginia’s private schools sincerely thank Governor Northam for recognizing the impact COVID-19 has had on all school-aged children, including the approximately 11 percent of Virginia’s students who attend private schools, by applying for this federal funding,” said VCPE Executive Director Grace Turner Creasey. “The EANS program funding mechanism sends necessary assistance to private schools as they continue to ensure the health, safety and wellness of students during this global pandemic.”

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