SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Thursday announced that she will send $75 million of federal coronavirus relief funds to schools.
The Republican governor is allotting public and private schools $500 per student from the $1.25 billion in federal funding the state received for coronavirus relief aid. South Dakota elementary and high schools had already received $41 million in federal funding to respond to the pandemic.
“It’s crucial that our students are in the classroom this year, and we are grateful to the Trump administration for giving us the flexibility to help make that happen,” Noem said.
She has pushed schools to reopen and discouraged requirements for students to wear masks. The state has reported 195 COVID-19 cases among students and staff in public schools.
Noem’s office said that updated guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury allowed the state to allocate funds to schools. The state has spent roughly $77 million of the $1.25 billion in federal funds, according to the latest account from state budget auditors.
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