South Dakota will receive an additional $127 million dollars in federal COVID relief money to safely open and operate schools. The money comes on top of the $254 million dollars the state got earlier this year.
Mary Staddick Smith is the deputy secretary for South Dakota’s Department of Education. She says the plan for the funding is multi-faceted.
“So, the three priority areas that we've identified are supporting strong instructional practices and educational opportunities for all students, addressing students’ social and emotional needs and that mental health side of things, and then the third priority area would be continuing to address issues of educator recruitment and retention.”
Staddick Smith says the department surveyed educators earlier in the year to help develop the funding plan. The data from the survey will help focus where the money will go.
This story comes from a recent interview on SDPB's weekday radio program, "In the Moment." Listen to the full interview below.