Connecticut public education is to get $1.1 billion from the federal rescue package. Governor Ned Lamont said he wants to use “a fair amount” of the money for summer school and children’s mental health services.
Lamont said close to 200,000 Connecticut public school children, mainly from the cities, have not been in school during the pandemic. That’s why summer school would be necessary to get them up to speed for class in September.
“Learning for college credits, as well, and summer internships for the older kids. Just to get them socializing with their friends and thinking about learning again. They don’t need more Zoom. They don’t need more computer instruction,” Lamont said.
Lamont has asked his education and mental health and addiction services commissioners to develop proposals within the next month for summer school and mental health outreach programs that would begin in July.
Connecticut received $492 million for public education from the COVID relief funds passed by Congress last year.
