February 1, 2021

Representative McGorty Applauds Federal Relief for Local Schools

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HARTFORD — State Representative Ben McGorty (R-122) weighed in on a new wave of federal relief funding for the Shelton, Stratford, and Trumbull school districts announced on Friday. Made available under recent federal coronavirus aid legislation, the funding will be distributed to schools across Connecticut and the nation to enhance school safety, prevent learning loss, and address the pandemic’s mental health impact on students.

McGorty says that the state needs to work diligently to address the growing problem of student learning loss after the state’s classrooms moved to virtual instruction. “We’ve been pushing new concepts at the state level to put in place minimum grading and attendance standards for virtual learning, and I’m hopeful this funding will allow school districts to use some of our proposals. I think we as a legislature need to continue to listen to the concerns of parents and give them some clarity on how their children will be able to make up for lost learning going forward,” McGorty said.

The following local school districts received funding:

Shelton – $1,815,928
Stratford – $4,390,188
Trumbull – $703,860

School superintendents across the state received notice on Friday from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) of $492,426,458 in a second phase of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER II) directed to the state. The funding can be used by school districts for the following purposes:

Improving COVID-19 response coordination between school districts and state, county, and local public health authorities;
Addressing learning loss through high-quality assessment, tracking student attendance and engagement in distance learning, and evaluating academic progress in comparison to a student’s pre-pandemic performance;
Need-based outreach for students of all backgrounds, including children in low-income households, those in foster care, those with disabilities, and those struggling with homelessness;
Purchasing PPE and sanitation supplies, and training staff in proper sanitation and personal protection practices;
Ensuring all instruction is consistent with requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);
Planning and implementing supplemental instruction like summer school or aftercare;
And facilitating school facility improvements and repairs for indoor air quality.

This newest allocation brings the state’s total ESSER funding to date to $603,494,517.

Earlier in January, McGorty and his Republican colleagues unveiled a set of proposals intended to address the difficulties experienced by students, parents, and educators navigating virtual learning.

These include:

Uniform minimum requirements for online classroom participation;
A requirement that virtual settings feature the same amount of teacher instruction time as classroom settings;
Minimum grading standards for classwork;
Teacher training in remote/distance learning;
And in-person instruction for special needs students unless the school can demonstrate that their educational requirements can be met through distance learning.

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