In December of 2020, the Congress passed a COVID stimulus relief bill with a key provision of $54.3 billion for K-12 schools, according to the Tennessee Education Association. Tennessee’s share of this K-12 COVID relief funds is $1,107,656,022. Local school systems are scheduled to receive a portion of those funds.

The state is allowed to retain up to 10% of these dollars, and proposes to do so to fund the recently announced $100 million state early literacy initiative. LEAs are guaranteed a minimum of $997 million, to be distributed by the Title I formula. The TEA provided the estimated funds for each school system. The COVID relief dollars should arrive in districts later this month, according to TEA.

At a 90 percent rate, the county’s five special school districts are as follows: McKenzie, $1,090,505; Huntingdon, $1,386,163; West Carroll, $1,006,628; Hollow Rock-Bruceton, $810,816; South Carroll, $365,779; Henry County is to receive $3,511,254; Paris Special, $1,976,638; Milan, $1,607,079, and Weakley County, $4,131,678.

Lynn Watkins, director of schools at McKenzie, said the estimate amount he has is $1,113,420.28 for the local school district. He said all these are simply “estimates” at this time.

“We are to use the money to reduce learning loss and for facility upgrades that would mainly improve air quality.

We are very early in this process. Right now we are attempting to determine what is best for us.”