Medina County is set to receive around $1.6 million in federal CARES Act funds and plans to pass $500,000 of that on to public and private schools in the county in order to help them prepare for the upcoming school year.
The CARES funds are a reimbursement for money spent dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. County commissioners approved Judge Chris Schuchart’s suggestion to give some of the money to school districts for personal protective equipment and related needs during the commissioners court meeting last Thursday, July 30.
Most of the districts in Medina County are set to return to school this month.
“Every superintendent I’ve talked to said, ‘Judge, if y’all can do that that would be awesome, because the state has given us virtually nothing,'” Schuchart said.
The money will be divided amongst the Medina County school districts based on student enrollment.
“It’s a matter of us having money allocated based on whatever y’all decide we give out, and then just calling each superintendent to say ‘what’s on your priority list, and we’ll get it for you,’ and then we will donate it,” Schuchart said.
According to Schuchart, the county’s general fund for the current fiscal year is “well ahead of budget right now.”
Commissioners plan to discuss how to help county businesses during the next commissioner’s court meeting, scheduled for Thursday, August 13.
By Marly Davis
Staff Writer
