Manitoba schools will have an extra $52 million to draw from to fund safety measures as students prepare to head back to class amid rising COVID-19 case numbers.
In addition to paying for personal protective equipment, some of that money will be available to hire additional staff, Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen said at a news conference Monday morning.
“There will be human resource challenges within the school system, and this fund will be eligible for that as well,” he said.
School divisions also saved $48 million earlier this year, and the province ordered them to hold onto money not being used when in-class learning was suspended in spring to help with costs when kids return to class.
Added together, the total amount available for back-to-school COVID-19 costs is $100 million.
The new money can also be used to help cover additional costs associated with transporting students to and from school.
Several school divisions have announced they would limit space on school buses to high-need students in order to meet physical distancing guidelines.
The funds will be allocated as needed on a per-pupil basis to school divisions and independent schools, Goertzen said.
A portion of the funds will be held back to address urgent needs on a case-by-case basis.
More to come
