Annapolis, Maryland (December 22, 2020) –Today, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced approximately $1.4 million of federal CARES Act funding for Anne Arundel County Public Schools for costs related to the COVID-19 virus. This assistance will pay for cleaning and sanitation supplies, food services supplies, software to facilitate digital classes, and overtime costs for information technology personnel. These costs were not covered under the school system’s direct CARES appropriation from the U.S. Treasury earlier in the year.
“I’m pleased that Anne Arundel County is able to give additional funding support to our school system to help keep our students and educators safe,” said County Executive Pittman. “Remote learning has been challenging for students, parents and teachers. I am looking forward to the future when students can safely return to classrooms. Until then, we will continue to work with Dr. Arlotto and his team as we navigate the remote learning environment.”
The funds total $1,393,364 and will be used to reimburse school system costs in a variety of categories, including personal protective equipment; health and safety; additional digital content to enhance virtual learning; and additional hours for IT technicians to prepare and image Chromebooks for e-Learning.
“We are tremendously appreciative of the County’s willingness to provide these reimbursements for expenses already incurred by our school system,” said Dr. George Arlotto, Superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools. “Like every agency of government, we have been thrust into an unfamiliar and ever-evolving world of change. We will continue to do everything we can to enhance learning – virtual or otherwise – for our students, and are heartened by the support we continue to receive from the County.”