The Town of Hempstead has announced the allocation of $5.5 million in funding to address unbudgeted expenses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up to $150,000 will be made available to each of the town’s 36 school districts and Nassau BOCES to pay for expenses incurred to alter their facilities and supply students and staff with personal protective equipment.
These reimbursements allow these school districts to recoup some of the unbudgeted expenses needed to keep students and faculty safe. This initiative to provide assistance to local school districts is a key component of a myriad of initiatives undertaken by the Town and made possible by the $133 million received from the federal CARES Act funding.
“As the year is coming to an end, I would like to thank Senator Schumer one last time for his part in securing the funding for initiatives like this that have and continue to help tens of thousands of Hempstead residents,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. “Our schools stepped up to their responsibility of educating children in spite of the challenges arisen by the pandemic. One of the challenges has been equipping the schools according to protocols to protect students, staff members and their families.”
Each individual grant has been allocated to reimburse for COVID-related expenses that have already been paid by the schools since the start of the pandemic. Acceptable reimbursements will be distributed for items such as masks, gloves, face shields, hand sanitizer, sanitizer and other cleaning supplies, testing, desk shields and partitions.
