PROVIDENCE – More than $336,000 in McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Education for Homeless Children and Youth subgrants were awarded to eight Rhode Island school districts to help homeless students, Gov. Daniel J. McKee and R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green announced Wednesday.
McKee and Infante-Green said the latest round of federal subgrants is part of the third year of a three-year award where each of the selected districts had received more than $970,000 in funding in that time. Each local education agency, McKee and Infante-Green said, was required to demonstrate a project that facilitates the enrollment, attendance and success in school of homeless students. The agencies also had to demonstrate that they provided temporary and special services for these students, as well.
Infante-Green said Wednesday in a statement that students experiencing homelessness were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the R.I. Department of Education has prioritized equity in education to accelerate learning knowing that the state’s most vulnerable students were hardest hit by the learning disruptions caused by the pandemic.
“It is critical that we support our most vulnerable students in Rhode Island’s recovery,” McKee also said Wednesday in his respective statement.
The school districts that received subgrants, and their amounts, are:
- Providence, $43,878
- Newport, $42,000
- Warwick, $42,000
- West Warwick, $42,000
- Middletown, $41,902
- North Kingstown, $41,902
- Woonsocket, $41,680
- Central Falls, $40,783
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
